Committee advances parts of House File 2,078 to General Register after narrowing amendment

The Children and Families Committee voted Wednesday to send parts of House File 2,078 to the General Register, adopting divided language that clarifies parents’ access to their enrolled children and loosens certain classroom furnishing rules for child care centers.

Representative John West, chair of the committee, moved to refer House File 2,078 as amended to the General Register. The committee divided the DE1 amendment and took up the middle sections (sections 2 and 3) first, then agreed to delete one contested subclause before approving the referral by voice vote.

The approved portions do two main things. First, the bill clarifies that an enrolled child’s parent or guardian “must have access to the child at any time the child is in attendance at a child care center unless a court order or other legal documentation restricts access to…