Compare Bills

Primary Sponsor

Last Action

Ref To Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House2026-04-29

Vote Breakdown

No floor votes recorded.

Plain Language Summary

This bill redirects $390 million from the Opportunity Scholarship program (which funds private school scholarships) to child care subsidies, establishes permanent funding for a tri-share child care cost-sharing program between employers/employees/state, reenacts a state child care tax credit, creates apprenticeships and workforce programs for early childhood educators, increases child care subsidy reimbursement rates, and establishes a health insurance pool for child care workers.

Arguments in Favor

• •Supporters argue this bill addresses critical workforce shortages in child care by increasing educator wages, subsidies, and benefits, making child care more affordable for working families and enabling parents—particularly mothers—to participate in the workforce.
• •They contend it stabilizes the child care industry through higher reimbursement rates and creates new pathways into the profession through apprenticeships, while the tri-share program helps employers retain workers and supports small child care businesses.

Arguments Against

• •Opponents argue the bill significantly reduces funding for the Opportunity Scholarship program, which provides school choice for low-income students, by $240 million annually starting in 2027-2028.
• •They contend this diverts substantial resources away from education scholarships and question whether the full $390 million reduction is necessary to address child care needs, or if the programs could be expanded without cutting scholarship funding.