26RS HB 6

House Bill 6

Actions

Last Action	02/02/26: to Committee on Committees (H)
Title	AN ACT relating to child care.
Bill Documents	Introduced
Bill Request Number	1265
Sponsors	S. Heavrin, R. Duvall, R. Bivens, J. Branscum, S. Bratcher, M. Clines, S. Dietz, K. Jackson, DJ Johnson, S. Lewis, S. McPherson, D. Meade , A. Neighbors, J. Nemes, D. Osborne, J. Payne, M. Pollock, W. Williams, S. Witten
Summary of Original Version	Create a new section of KRS Chapter 199 related to the quality-based graduated early care and education rating system program to establish the intent of the General Assembly related to the program; establish processes and procedures for how the program is changed by administrative regulation; require a program modernization plan and final recommendations for modernization to be created and submitted to the Legislative Research Commission; amend KRS 199.891 to define terms; create new requirements for how the Cabinet for Health and Family Services establishes and operates the Certified Child Care Community Designation Program; delete language related to a previous 1 time requirement for the cabinet to submit recommendations and best practices to the Legislative Research Commission; establish a new January 1, 2028 submission deadline for the cabinet to make publicly available a standardized application for certification and instructions for the program; establish new requirements for applications by local governments to participate in the program; require an annual report by the Cabinet for Economic Development regarding the program; amend KRS 199.8983 to increase the membership of the Kentucky Child Care Advisory Council; establish that the council shall additionally advise the Cabinet for Health and Family Services on the operations, funding, and licensing of child-care microcenters; create new sections of KRS Chapter 199 to define terms; establish licensure for child-care microcenters; establish the Kentucky Child-Care Microcenter Program to regulate the standards and operations of child-care microcenters; establish early care and education training requirements for licensed child-care providers and certified family child-care home providers; establish that the Education and Labor Cabinet shall compile, produce, and make publicly available a monthly report providing a comprehensive snapshot of all licensed and certified child care services, Head Start services, child care services regulated by the United States Department of Defense, and state-funded public preschool services operating within the Commonwealth; establish a voluntary designation process through which any licensed or certified child-care provider may identify as a faith-based program; require the Office of State Budget Director to produce a comprehensive annual report outlining all state and federal spending on child care and early childhood education services and submit it annually to the Legislative Research Commission; establish that the Cabinet for Health and Family Services shall submit an approval request to the federal Administration for Children and Families to utilize a cost estimation model to inform payment rates beginning with the fiscal year 2028-2030 Child Care and Development Fund state plan; amend KRS 199.882 to change the definitions of "contribution" and "state match" and define "third-party administrator"; amend KRS 199.883 to establish that the Cabinet for Health and Family Services shall enter into a contract with a private third-party administrator to administer the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership Program and establish duties and requirements of the third-party administrator; amend KRS 199.885 to establish the third-party administrator is responsible for issuing state fund matches out of the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership fund; amend KRS 199.886 and 199.887 to specify how employers and employees interact directly with the third-party administrator instead of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
Index Headings of Original Version	Business Entities And Organizations - Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership Program, requirements Children And Minors - Certified Child Care Community Designation Program, requirements Children And Minors - Certified family child-care homes, requirements Children And Minors - Child-care microcenters, establish Children And Minors - Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership Program, requirements Children And Minors - Kentucky Child Care Advisory Council, membership, establish Children And Minors - Licensed child-care centers, requirements Children And Minors - Quality-based graduated early childhood rating system program, requirements Economic Development - Certified Child Care Community Designation Program, requirements Economic Development - Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership Program, requirements Local Government - Certified Child Care Community Designation Program, requirements Local Government - Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership Program, requirements Reports Mandated - Cabinet for Health and Family Services, quality-based graduated early childhood rating system Reports Mandated - Education and Labor Cabinet, child-care centers, reporting Reports Mandated - Office of State Budget Director, child-care centers, reporting Reports Mandated - Cabinet for Economic Development, certified child care community designation program, report State Agencies - Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Kentucky Child Care Advisory Council membership State Agencies - Cabinet for Health and Family Services, child-care microcenters, establish State Agencies - Cabinet for Health and Family Services, quality-based graduated early childhood rating system State Agencies - Child-care centers, Education and Labor Cabinet, reporting State Agencies - Child-care centers, Office of State Budget Director, reporting Witnesses - Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership Program, requirements