House Human Services Committee agrees to amend bill changing subsidized child-care co-payments

The House Human Services Committee voted to approve an amendment and reported House Bill 1108, Printer's No. 1227, which revises co-payment ranges for subsidized child care and repeals outdated provisions to align the state Human Services Code with federal child-care rules.

The action matters because sponsors and committee leaders said the bill is intended to protect families receiving subsidized child care from losing benefits when their incomes rise and to align state policy with the 2024 Child Care and Development Fund final rule.

Committee chair Chairman Williams opened the committee and offered Amendment A01167, which "updates the subsidized childcare co payment structure with income based ranges and exempt special populations identified in the department state plan," according to the amendment summary read aloud by staff member Ashley. The amendment summary also states it "repeals outdated provisions and makes the bill effective immediately upon enactment." The bill summary, read earlier by Anne Marie, said the bill "is an act amending the Human Services Code of 1967 in public assistance, further providing for co payments for subsidized child care and making a repeal."

Representative Eric Nelson, a co-sponsor, thanked committee leadership, staff and the Department of Human Services for collaborative work on the amendment and bill. "As a representative, a small business owner, I think we all are wanting to see our Pennsylvania families and, those members that are receiving childcare to be able to help work themselves up the ladder, and, you know, this bill achieves that goal," Representative Eric Nelson said.

Co-sponsor Representative Jose Gural said the bill is designed to prevent families from abruptly losing access to subsidized child care as their earnings increase. "This bill 11 9 11 o 8 ensures that families who are working their way through poverty through the poverty line don't lose access to subsidized childcare overnight, which supports parents striving for better jobs and higher wages," Representative Jose Gural said. He added, "It's especially important for working families in Philadelphia where many many parents face tough choices between taking a raise and losing child care."

After brief comments from sponsors and acknowledgement of staff and Department of Human Services collaboration, the committee voted on the amendment. Chair Williams called for the ayes and, "seeing and hearing no negative votes, the amendment is agreed to," the record shows. The committee then voted to report the bill as amended; again, "seeing and hearing no negative votes, the bill is reported as amended." The transcript does not record a roll-call tally or indicate who moved or seconded either motion.

The committee discussion described on the record focused on aligning state co-payment policy with federal child-care rules and on exempting populations identified in the Department of Human Services state plan; no other policy changes or fiscal details were discussed in the transcript. The committee did not record further direction to staff or agencies in the transcript aside from advancing the bill out of committee.

With no further business recorded, the committee adjourned.