Plain English Breakdown
The effective date is not specified in the source material; the bill has passed but no specific start or end dates are filled in for Section 1.F.
Tri-share Child Care Pilot Program
This bill creates a pilot program where employees, employers, and the state each pay one-third of child care costs for qualifying workers.
What This Bill Does
- Establishes the tri-share child care pilot program within the Department of Economic Security to help with child care costs.
- Requires three regional administrator hubs in different counties, including at least one rural county, to run the program.
- Sets a cost-sharing model where employees, employers, and state grants each pay an equal share of child care costs.
- Appropriates $10 million from the state general fund for fiscal year 2026-2027 to start the program.
- Requires a report by December 31, 2028, on how well the program works and data on employee retention and children served.
Who It Names or Affects
- Employees with household incomes between 165% and 325% of federal poverty guidelines who work for participating employers.
- Employers that choose to join the pilot program.
- The Department of Economic Security, which manages the funds and hubs.
Terms To Know
- Tri-share
- A model where three parties split a cost equally: the employee, the employer, and the state.
- Pilot program
- A test version of a new plan to see if it works before making it permanent or larger.
Limits and Unknowns
- Employees cannot receive this help if they already qualify for other state or federal child care subsidies.
- The bill does not list a final end date because the repeal section leaves that space blank for later action.
- Only three regional hubs will be created to manage the program across the entire state.