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Conference committee agrees to House $19 million childcare construct, moves OPR funding to contingency
Summary
Members of the conference committee said they would adopt the House’s $19 million childcare funding construct but place an OPR-related appropriation into contingency because committees had not taken testimony on that bill.
Members of the legislative conference committee said Wednesday they will move to the House construct for childcare funding, which includes $19,000,000 in the committee’s current proposal, while placing language that would fund an OPR-related bill into contingency until committees have seen testimony.
The decision emerged as members reviewed line-item language on childcare rates and programs. A committee member said, “on the childcare, overall, we're willing to move to the house construct on the 19,000,000,” and flagged technical edits around a $500 reserve that needs to be placed in the C section rather than the D section.
Committee members stressed several specific program elements they expect to preserve in the agreed construct: the infant‑toddler rate adjustment (discussed as a “5.5” rate in committee language), support for in‑home childcare meal reimbursements, an apprenticeship program, and an amount identified for BAA/OPR related activity (noted in the transcript as $1,270,000) that the conferees want available if the related bill passes.
Several members expressed concern about inserting the OPR measure into the budget without committee scrutiny. One committee member said the House and Senate had “not seen it, discussed, taken testimony on” that bill and suggested placing funds in a contingency that would only be released if the authorizing bill passes. Another member summarized the hybrid approach: accept the House $19 million construct now but hold the OPR funds contingent on legislative action and further review.
Discussion also noted small technical edits to where reserves are coded in the bill text and agreement to retain specified program supports in the enacted construct. No formal roll‑call vote was taken in the session transcript; members described the outcome as an agreed conference position and a plan to draft contingency language for the OPR item.
The committee scheduled follow‑up work to finalize technical language and to reconcile other childcare line items at the next meeting.
