Committee approves amended H248 to allow commissioner aid for child-care program transitions; vote 11-0

The House Human Services Committee approved draft 2.1 of H248 as amended, a bill that clarifies when the state may provide assistance to reduce disruption when a child-care program closes. The committee voted by roll call and the draft passed 11-0.

The amendment separates two situations in which the committee says financial or operational relief may be provided: when a center is at risk of closing or has financial problems (including programs in the process of becoming licensed or registered), and when assistance is needed to move children from a closing program to another program. Committee staff revised the language so the commissioner may provide assistance to either the existing program facilitating the transition or to the receiving program, depending on the circumstances. The draft also was changed to set the bill to "take effect on passage" rather than a later July 1 effective date.

Committee members said the change was intended to cover cases in which the existing program helps transfer children to a new provider as well as cases where only the receiving program needs help. Committee staff identified the revised language as draft 2.1 on the committee webpage; staff member Katie handled the redrafting noted in committee discussion.

A straw poll on the proposed amendments produced unanimous support, and a formal motion to approve draft 2.1 as amended passed on a roll-call vote. The clerk recorded the following votes: Representative Bishop — yes; Representative Cole — yes; Representative Anne Donahue — yes; Representative Eastes — yes; Representative Garfunkel — yes; Representative McGuire — yes; Representative McGill — yes; Representative Nielsen — yes; Representative Noyes — yes; Representative Steady — yes; Representative Wood — yes. The committee tally was 11 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain. The motion as presented did not list a recorded mover or seconder in the transcript.

Committee discussion also included procedural remarks that the measure likely will be placed on notice the next day and that the committee expects to report on it on Tuesday. Committee staff said the bill does not necessarily require further referral, but that the clerk's office occasionally sends measures elsewhere for review.

In other business, members noted a one-day delay on action on S36, and a separate update on H91: the chair of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee planned to move that bill to markup, and the one-time funding item for H91 appears in both the House and Senate budget drafts. Committee members were reminded to review the Senate appropriations language as conference committee work approaches.

The committee did not adopt other substantive changes to H248 during this session; next procedural steps described in the meeting were placing the bill on notice and reporting it to the floor for further action.