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ENGR. H. B. NO. 2984 Page 1
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ENGROSSED HOUSE
BILL NO. 2984 By: Gise and Pae of the House
and
Reinhardt of the Senate
An Act relating to poor persons; directing the
Department of Human Services to publish annual
report; providing information the report shall
contain; authorizing the Department to include
contextual information; directing the Department to
submit the report and make report publicly available
on website; providing that the provisions shall be
carried out within existing appropriations; providing
that provisions shall not require Department to
create new data systems or hire additional employees;
directing the Department to make reasonable efforts;
providing for codification; and providing an
effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 271 of Title 56, unless there is
created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. The Department of Human Services shall, using existing
resources and data already collected by the Department, compile and
publish an annual report regarding program integrity and payment
accuracy within the child care subsidy program administered pursuant
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to Title 56 of the Oklahoma Statutes and Chapter 40 of Title 340 of
the Oklahoma Administrative Code.
B. The purpose of the report shall be to promote
accountability, identify potential improper payments, support high-
quality child care providers, and ensure public funds are directed
to services actually delivered to Oklahoma children and working
families.
C. The report shall, to the extent practicable using existing
data systems, include:
1. The payment error rate for the child care subsidy program,
if such rate is calculated by the Department or required by federal
reporting;
2. The total amount of overpayments identified during the
preceding fiscal year, including those associated with attendance
reporting discrepancies when such information is available;
3. The total amount of overpayments recovered during the
preceding fiscal year;
4. The number of provider investigations completed related to
the child care subsidy program;
5. The number of adverse actions taken against providers,
including suspensions, terminations, or disqualifications;
6. Any trends or risk factors identified by the Department
related to improper payments, including patterns that may indicate
inaccurate attendance reporting or other program vulnerabilities;
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7. A summary of education, outreach, or technical assistance
provided by the Department to help child care providers maintain
compliance and avoid improper payments; and
8. The number of current daycare facilities to date, child care
capacity, the number of daycare facilities losses, and child care
capacity loss each year.
D. The Department may include any additional contextual
information necessary to accurately interpret the data provided in
the report and to highlight the performance of providers operating
in good-faith compliance with program requirements.
E. The Department shall submit the report to the Governor, the
Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, and the President
Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate no later than November 1 of
each year and shall make the report publicly available on the
Department's website.
F. The requirements of this section shall be carried out within
existing appropriations and shall not require the Department to
create new data systems or hire additional full-time employees.
G. As part of the annual report required by this section, the
Department shall, using existing licensing and administrative data
to the extent available, include information regarding the supply
and capacity of child care providers in this state, including:
1. The total number of licensed child care facilities operating
in the state during the reporting period;
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2. The estimated licensed child care capacity statewide and by
region, to the extent such information is available;
3. The number of licensed child care facilities that opened
during the preceding fiscal year;
4. The number of licensed child care facilities that closed
during the preceding fiscal year;
5. The estimated reduction in licensed child care capacity
associated with such closures, to the extent practicable; and
6. A summary of information obtained by the Department
regarding the primary reasons for provider closures.
H. The Department shall make reasonable efforts, within
existing resources, to contact providers that have closed during the
reporting period to request voluntary feedback regarding the reasons
for closure. Participation by former providers shall be voluntary,
and nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require the
Department to obtain responses in every case.
I. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the
creation of new data systems or mandatory surveys of providers.
SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 272 of Title 56, unless there is
created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. The Department of Human Services is hereby directed to amend
Section 2.5.3(c) of the State of Oklahoma’s Child Care and
Development Fund (CCDF) Plan, relating to circumstances under which
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the lead agency may discontinue assistance prior to the minimum
twelve-month redetermination period.
B. Such amendment shall:
1. Keep current selection of subsection "iii. a change in
residency outside of the State or Territory" as the identified
limited circumstance for discontinuation of assistance prior to the
twelve-month redetermination; and
2. Select and adopt subsection "ii. Excessive unexplained
absences despite multiple attempts by the lead agency or designated
entity to contact the family and provider, including the prior
notification of a possible discontinuation of assistance".
C. The Department shall further provide, publish, and maintain
within the lead agency’s written policy a clear definition
specifying ninety (90) consecutive days as the number of unexplained
absences that shall be deemed “excessive” for purposes of
discontinuation under this subsection.
D. The Department shall implement the amendment required by
this act in the next available revision or submission of the Child
Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Plan and shall ensure compliance
with all applicable federal requirements.
SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.
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Passed the House of Representatives the 24th day of March, 2026.
Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives
Passed the Senate the ___ day of __________, 2026.
Presiding Officer of the Senate