House Early Childhood and Human Services committee advances child-care and social-services bills to Ways and Means

House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services members on April 8 advanced a package of bills affecting child care, nutrition and human services and referred them with due-pass recommendations to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means.

The measures approved in work sessions included an increase to child-care meal reimbursements (House Bill 3201), a new grant program for child care resource and referral entities (House Bill 2452), a rename and stakeholder review of the employment-related day care subsidy (House Bill 2593), a pilot allowing some adult foster homes to serve up to seven residents (House Bill 2956), creation of a task force to study recruitment and retention of case managers and adult-protective-services workers (House Bill 2061), and a requirement that DHS annually adjust provider payments tied to an earlier rate-and-wage study (House Bill 2150). Committee members debated funding levels, program overlap and administrative capacity before voting to move the bills to Ways and Means for fiscal review.

The child-nutrition bill, House Bill 3201, would direct the Oregon Department of Education to adopt policies to increase access to healthy, culturally relevant meals in child care. The bill raises the per-meal reimbursement for eligible meals and snacks under the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program by 10 cents above the federal reimbursement baseline, directs the department to equalize reimbursement rates across program tiers and creates a supplemental fund. The measure includes a $250,000 general-fund appropriation to the Oregon State University Extension Service to develop culturally specific menus and requires the extension service to collaborate with communities and enter a grant agreement with ODE. The dash-1 amendment adds a June 30, 2027 sunset for the extension-service menu-creation provision and declares an emergency with an effective date of July 1, 2025. Representative Ruiz asked whether the menu work and reimbursement increase could be federally reimbursed; committee members asked staff and stakeholders to follow up with a memo to clarify federal match and fiscal effects.

House Bill 2452 would direct the Department of Early Learning and Care to create a grant program for child care resource and referral (CCR&R) entities. The dash-2 amendment permits grant recipients to contract with third parties and use grant funds for operating expenses. During debate several members raised concerns about overlap with existing services — including 211 and locally funded family-coach programs — and about administrative costs; supporters said CCR&Rs can provide localized, on-the-ground navigation that complements call-center services. Lena Benjamen of Family Forward told the committee she understood the Legislative Fiscal Office would carry a fiscal figure around $7,800,000; she said advocates and CCR&R stakeholders have discussed higher amounts but that $7.8 million was expected on the LFO fiscal note. Some members offered courtesy yes votes to allow Ways and Means to consider funding tradeoffs.

House Bill 2593 (dash-3) replaces the Employment-Related Day Care (ERDC) subsidy program name with the Oregon Childcare Affordability Program (operative July 1, 2027) and directs the Department of Early Learning and Care to convene no more than 10 stakeholders to study and develop recommendations to remove families from the ERDC wait list. The amendment requires a stakeholder report to the Legislature by Sept. 30, 2026. Committee members discussed that the stakeholder group is intended to surface technical fixes, rule or statutory changes and operational barriers — including the “one system” eligibility platform — that currently limit the agency’s ability to refresh or clean the wait list. Several members emphasized that funding and provider capacity, not only intake processes, drive the size of the wait list.

House Bill 2956 (dash-3) establishes a pilot to allow up to 30 participating adult foster homes to admit up to seven residents (rather than the current five), requires DHS rulemaking and a report to the Legislature, and prohibits new pilot enrollments after Sept. 15, 2028 while protecting residents admitted under the pilot from involuntary removal except when the home can no longer provide needed care. Committee discussion flagged fiscal effects; staff cited a fiscal impact on OLIS and a biennial cost figure of approximately $775,705 (FY 2025–27) that was referenced in committee back-and-forth. Members asked DHS to pay attention to federal match and to consult residents living in pilot homes during rulemaking.

House Bill 2061 (dash-1) establishes a task force to study recruitment and retention of case managers and adult protective-service workers and specifies that task-force members are entitled to compensation and expense reimbursement rather than being unpaid volunteers. Sponsors said the amendment restores language aligned with prior task-force compensation policy so low-income or Medicaid recipients appointed to a task force would not be excluded from compensation. The committee noted a fiscal light and referred the bill to Ways and Means.

House Bill 2150 (dash-2) requires the Department of Human Services to act on recommendations from the prior rate-and-wage study for intellectual- and developmental-disability provider payments, and the dash-2 amendment requires DHS to annually adjust payments made under contract with provider agencies. Members described a large fiscal footprint in the fiscal impact statement and said the measure needs Ways and Means review for funding and implementation details.

The committee closed work sessions on the bills listed above and sent each with a due-pass recommendation and referral to Joint Ways and Means for fiscal review. Members repeatedly urged staff and agencies to return clear fiscal memos about federal match, administrative costs and any IT or staffing needs (for example, to review and clean the ERDC wait list). Several legislators also noted overlapping navigation services (211, CCR&Rs, family coaches) and suggested the interim could include system-mapping to reduce duplication. The committee did not act on House Bill 3079 during the meeting; the chair said the sponsor intends to reintroduce the late dash-4 language as a priority bill and to hold a public hearing on the revised scope.

Votes at a glance: - House Bill 3201 (child and adult care food program reimbursements; OSU Extension culturally specific menus; emergency clause): Committee adopted the dash-1 amendment and gave the bill a due-pass recommendation to Ways and Means (motion passed). (Referred by prior reference.) - House Bill 2452 (grants to CCR&Rs; dash-2 permits third-party contracts and operating use of funds): Committee adopted the dash-2 amendment and gave the bill a due-pass recommendation to Ways and Means (motion passed). Supporters and opponents disagreed on potential program overlap and administrative costs; LFO figure cited in committee discussion: $7,800,000 (advocate-stated estimate). - House Bill 2593 (ERDC rename to Oregon Childcare Affordability Program; stakeholder group to study wait list): Committee adopted the dash-3 amendment and gave the bill a due-pass recommendation to Ways and Means (motion passed). The amendment directs stakeholder consultation and a Sept. 30, 2026 report. - House Bill 2956 (adult foster home pilot, up to 7 residents; up to 30 homes; enrollment cutoff 9/15/2028): Committee adopted the dash-3 amendment and gave the bill a due-pass recommendation to Ways and Means (motion passed). Committee discussion referenced an estimated FY2025–27 cost noted in committee discussion (~$775,705) and cautioned about federal match assumptions. - House Bill 2061 (task force on recruitment/retention for case managers and APS workers; member compensation): Committee adopted the dash-1 amendment and gave the bill a due-pass recommendation to Ways and Means (motion passed). A fiscal light statement is posted on OLIS. - House Bill 2150 (DHS to implement rate-and-wage study recommendations; annual contract adjustments for IDD provider payments): Committee adopted the dash-2 amendment and gave the bill a due-pass recommendation to Ways and Means (motion passed). Committee members described a large fiscal impact and requested Ways and Means review.

What’s next: All of these measures were sent to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means by prior reference for fiscal review. Committee members requested follow-up memos from agency staff and the Legislative Fiscal Office on federal reimbursement opportunities, anticipated state general-fund needs, and IT/staffing implications (for example, for the ERDC wait-list refresh and any program implementation). The chair also said the sponsor of HB 3079 will seek a public hearing for newly introduced dash-4 language as a priority bill.