Committee advances multiple bills; HB661 amended to be contingent on funding, HB1566 moved to interim study

The committee moved through a long consent calendar and acted on several items, including an amendment to House Bill 661 and an interim-study motion on House Bill 1566.

On House Bill 661 the committee accepted amendment 20261387S, which the chair said inserted language suggested by the Department of Health and Human Services to make the statute contingent on available funding. The amendment was framed by sponsors as a way to allow the program to proceed only when funding and departmental capacity exist. The motion carried on the record as "ought to pass as amended." The amendment text was described in committee as a contingency that would allow implementation when funding becomes available.

On House Bill 1566, which relates to child-care workforce recruitment, retention and training and asks the department to pursue the use of TANF reserve funds, committee members asked a department representative (Brian) about federal approval. Brian reported that the department had previously requested the change and the federal Administration for Children and Families denied the request; he said there is no waiver process that would be likely to yield a different result. The committee nevertheless voted to refer HB1566 to interim study; the transcript records the vote as 3–2 in favor of interim study.

The committee also considered multiple other bills and amendments (study committees converted to legislative study committees, procedural amendments, and consent calendar placements). Several items were moved on consent with "all those in favor say I" procedures recorded; individual roll-call tallies are not recorded for every consent motion in the public transcript.

Next steps: the committee recessed for a brief period and scheduled further hearings next Wednesday morning and Thursday afternoon before adjourning for the day.