HB2626 • 2026

child care workforce; scholarship program

HB2626 - child care workforce; scholarship program

Children Education Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Lorena Austin, Anna Abeytia, Cesar Aguilar, Junelle Cavero, Quantá Crews, Brian Garcia, Nancy Gutierrez, Sarah Liguori, Betty J Villegas, Kevin Volk
Last action: 2026-01-21
Official status: House second read
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on how scholarship amounts will be determined or distributed among eligible individuals.

Child Care Workforce Scholarship Program

This bill establishes a scholarship program for child care workers earning below eighty-five percent of the state median income.

What This Bill Does

Establishes a new scholarship program to assist eligible child care workers with education and training expenses.
Appropriates $200,000 from the state general fund in fiscal year 2026-2027 for this program.
Requires recipients to use funds only at department-contracted child care providers.

Who It Names or Affects

Child care workers earning below eighty-five percent of the state median income
The Department of Economic Security (DES)

Terms To Know

Department of Economic Security (DES): A government agency that manages various social services and programs, including child care.
Scholarship: Financial aid given to students to help pay for education or training.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how the $200,000 will be allocated among scholarship recipients.
It is unclear if there are any limits on the amount of money each individual can receive from this program.

Bill History

2026-01-21 House
House second read
2026-01-20 House
House Rules: None
2026-01-20 House
House Appropriations: None
2026-01-20 House
House Health & Human Services: None
2026-01-20 House
House first read

Official Summary Text

HB2626 - child care workforce; scholarship program

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB2626 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
child care workforce; scholarship program

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HB 2626

Introduced by

Representatives
Austin: Abeytia, Aguilar, Cavero, Crews, Garcia, Gutierrez, Liguori,
Villegas, Volk

AN
ACT

amending title 46, chapter 7, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 46-812; appropriating monies;
relating to child care services.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Title 46, chapter 7, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 46-812, to read:

START_STATUTE
46-812.

Child care workforce scholarship program

A. The department shall Establish a
child care workforce scholarship program to provide a scholarship to an INDIVIDUAL
who is BELOW eighty-five percent of the state median income and who is
any of the following:

1. a teacher, educator,
assistant or support staff of a department-contracted child care
provider.

2. a district employee of a preschool
program.

3. a district employee of a
kindergarten program.

4. a district employee of any of
grades one through twelve.

B. A person who is selected to
receive a scholarship under this section shall use the monies only for
department-contracted child care providers and the department shall pay
the department-contracted child care providers directly.

C. The department shall disperse
monies when the department receives the monies on a first-come, first-served
basis.

END_STATUTE

Sec. 2.
Appropriation;
department of economic security; child care workforce scholarship program;
exemption

A. The sum of $200,000,000
is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2026-2027 to
the department of economic security for the child care workforce scholarship
program established pursuant to section 46-812, Arizona Revised Statutes,
as added by this act.

B. The appropriation made
in subsection A of this section is exempt from the provisions of section 35-190,
Arizona Revised Statutes, relating to lapsing of appropriations.