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--- version:Public Act No. 26-105
+++ version:(document, no version)
@@ -1,380 +1,58 @@
-Substitute Senate Bill No. 137
-
-Public Act No. 26-105
-
+OFFICE OF FISCAL ANALYSIS
+Legislative Office Building, Room 5200
+Hartford, CT 06106  (860) 240-0200
+http://www.cga.ct.gov/ofa
+sSB-137
 AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE
 OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD.
-Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
-Assembly convened:
 
-Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 10 -16z of the 2026 supplement to
-the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu
-thereof (Effective July 1, 2026):
-(a) There is established the Early Childhood Cabinet. The cabinet
-shall consist of: (1) The Commissioner of Early Childhood, or the
-commissioner's designee, (2) the Commissioner of Education, or the
-commissioner's designee, (3) the Commissioner of Social Services, or the
-commissioner's designee, (4) the chancellor of the Connecticut State
-Colleges and Universities, or the chancellor's designee, (5) the
-Commissioner of Public Health, or the commissioner's designee, (6) the
-Commissioner of Developmental Servi ces, or the commissioner's
-designee, (7) the Commissioner of Children and Families, or the
-commissioner's designee, (8) the executive director of the Commission
-on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity or the executive
-director's designee, (9) the project director of the Connecticut Head Start
-State Collaboration Office, (10) a parent or guardian of a child who
-attends or attended a school readiness program appointed by the
-minority leader of the House of Representatives, (11) a representative of
-Substitute Senate Bill No. 137
+Primary Analyst: LD 4/7/26
+Contributing Analyst(s): NB, CF, LG, PM, ES
+Reviewer: ES
 
-Public Act No. 26-105 2 of 12
+OFA Fiscal Note
 
-a local provider of early childhood education appointed by the minority
-leader of the Senate, (12) a representative of the Connecticut Family
-Resource Center Alliance appointed by the majority leader of the House
-of Representatives, (13) a representative o f a state -funded child care
-center appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, (14) two
-appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom
-is a member of a board of education for a town designated as an alliance
-district, as defined in section 10-262u, and one of whom is a parent who
-has a child attending a school in an educational reform district, as
-defined in section 10 -262u, (15) two appointed by the president pro
-tempore of the Senate, one of whom is a representative of an association
-of early education and child care providers and one of whom is a
-representative of a public elementary school with a prekindergarten
-program, (16) [ten] eleven appointed by the Governor, one of whom is
-a representative of the Connecticut Head Start A ssociation, one of
-whom is a representative of the business community in this state, one of
-whom is a representative of the philanthropic community in this state,
-one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut State Employees
-Association, one of whom i s an administrator of the child care
-development block grant pursuant to the Child Care and Development
-Block Grant Act of 1990, one of whom is responsible for administering
-grants received under Section 1419 of Part B of the Individuals with
-Disabilities Education Act, 20 USC 1419, as amended from time to time,
-one of whom is responsible for administering the provisions of Title I of
-the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, 20 USC 6301 et seq., one
-of whom is responsible for coordinating education servi ces to children
-and youth who are homeless, one of whom is a licensed family child
-care home provider and a member of a staffed family child care network
-identified by the Commissioner of Early Childhood, [and] one of whom
-is a parent recommended by a pare nt advisory group that has been
-appointed by the Commissioner of Early Childhood, and a physician
-licensed pursuant to chapter 370, who is a pediatrician,  (17) the
-Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, or the secretary's
-Substitute Senate Bill No. 137
+State Impact:
+Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $
+Early Childhood, Off. GF - Cost See Below See Below
+Resources of the General Fund GF - Revenue
+Gain
+See Below See Below
+Note: GF=General Fund
 
-Public Act No. 26-105 3 of 12
+Municipal Impact:
+Municipalities Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $
+Local and Regional School
+Districts
+Revenue
+Gain
+See Below See Below
 
-designee, (18) the Lieutenant Governor, or the Lieutenant Governor's
-designee, (19) the Commissioner of Housing, or the commissioner's
-designee, (20) the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction
-Services, or the commissioner's designee, and (21) the executive director
-of the Connecticut Library Consortium, or a cooperating library service
-unit as defined in section 11-9e, or the executive director's designee.
-Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 10 -506 of the general statutes is
-repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1,
-2026):
-(a) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and each fiscal year
-thereafter, the Office of Early Childhood, in consultation with the
-Department of Education, shall design and administer the Connecticut
-Smart Start competitive grant program to provide gra nts to local and
-regional boards of education for capital and operating expenses related
-to establishing or expanding a preschool program under the jurisdiction
-of the board of education for the town. A local or regional board of
-education may submit an ap plication to the office, in accordance with
-the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, and may receive (1) a
-grant for capital expenses in an amount not to exceed seventy -five
-thousand dollars per classroom for costs related to the renovation of an
-existing public school to accommodate the establishment or expansion
-of a preschool program, and (2) an annual grant for operating expenses
-(A) in an amount not to exceed [five] six thousand five hundred dollars
-per child served by such grant, or (B) in an  amount not to exceed
-[seventy-five] ninety-seven thousand five hundred  dollars for each
-preschool classroom. Each local or regional board of education that
-establishes or expands a preschool program under this section shall be
-eligible to receive an annual grant for operating expenses for a period of
-five years, provided suc h preschool program meets standards
-established by the Commissioner of Early Childhood. Such local or
-regional board of education may submit an application for renewal of
-Substitute Senate Bill No. 137
+Explanation
+Section 2  results in a revenue gain to municipalities and regional
+boards of education  (BOEs) related to increasing Smart Start grants to
+$6,500 per child (or $97,500 per 15-student classroom). The overall Smart
+Start appropriation within the Office of Early Childhood (OEC) remains
+unchanged.
+For reference, under PA 25 -198 (the FY 26 –FY 27 biennial budget),
+funding for the program will increase by $3 million in FY 27, bringing
+the total appropriation to $6.3 million. Although the bill does not change
+the total appropriation, historical spending trends suggest that
+municipalities and regional boards of education will receive higher
+grant awards due to the increased grant allowance limits.
+2026SB-00137-R000492-FN.docx Page 2 of 2
 
-Public Act No. 26-105 4 of 12
-
-such grant to the office.
-Sec. 3. (NEW) ( Effective October 1, 2026 ) (a)  For purposes of this
-section, "licensee" means any person licensed pursuant to section 19a -
-421 of the general statutes and "youth camp" has the same meaning as
-provided in section 19a-420 of the general statutes, as amended by this
-act.
-(b) Each licensee shall provide written contact information for the
-licensee's youth camp, including the name, address and telephone
-number of the youth camp, to the Office of Early Childhood . Each
-licensee shall verify and update, as appropriate, such contact
-information.
-(c) The Office of Early Childhood shall share, in accordance with a
-memorandum of understanding or other agreement, any information
-collected pursuant to subsection (b) of this section with the Department
-of Emergency Services and Public Protection for use in an emergency
-notification system, as defined in section 28 -25 of the general statutes,
-that notifies licensees of an emergency situation in the vicinity of a youth
-camp that may endanger the safety or welfare of the children at such
-youth camp. Such em ergency situation may include, but need not be
-limited to, a fire, a criminal act, an emergency or an act of nature such
-as an earthquake, a tornado, a hurricane or a storm.
-Sec. 4. Section 19a -87e of the general statutes is repealed and the
-following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026):
-(a) The Commissioner of Early Childhood may (1) refuse to license
-under section 19a-87b, a person to own, conduct, operate or maintain a
-family child care home, as defined in section 19a -77, (2) refuse to
-approve under section 19a -87b, a person to act as an assistant or
-substitute staff member in a family child care home, as defined in section
-19a-77, or (3) suspend or revoke the license or approval or take any other
-Substitute Senate Bill No. 137
-
-Public Act No. 26-105 5 of 12
-
-action that may be set forth in regulation that may be adopted pursuant
-to section 19a -79 if the person who owns, conducts, maintains or
-operates the family child care home, the person who acts as an assistant
-or substitute staff member in a family child care home, a person
-employed in such family child care home in a position connected with
-the provision of care to a child receiving child care services or a
-household member, as defined in subsection (c) of section 19a-87b, who
-is [sixteen] eighteen years of age or older and resides therein, has been
-convicted, in this state or any other state of a felony, as defined in section
-53a-25, involving the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical
-force against another person, or has a criminal record in this state or any
-other state that the commissioner reasonably believes renders the
-person unsuitable to own, conduct, operate or maintain or be employed
-by a family child care home, or act as an assistant or substitute staff
-member in a family child care home, or if such persons or a household
-member has been convicted in this state or any other state of cruelty to
-persons under section 53 -20, injury or risk of injury to or impairing
-morals of children under section 53-21, abandonment of children under
-the age of six years under section 53-23, or any felony where the victim
-of the felony is a child under eighteen years of age, a violation of section
-53a-70b of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to January 1,
-2019, or  section 53a -70, 53a -70a, 53a -71, 53a -72a, 53a -72b or 53a -73a,
-illegal manufacture, distribution, sale, prescription, dispensing or
-administration under section 21a -277 or 21a -278, or illegal possession
-under section 21a-279, or if such person, a  person who acts as assistant
-or substitute staff member in a family child care home or  a person
-employed in such family child care home in a position connected with
-the provision of care to a child receiving child care services, either fails
-to substantially comply with the regulations adopted pursuant to
-section 19a -87b, or conducts, operates or maintains the home in a
-manner which endangers the health, safety and welfare of the children
-receiving child care services. Any refusal of a license or approval
-pursuant to this section shall b e rendered in accordance with the
-Substitute Senate Bill No. 137
-
-Public Act No. 26-105 6 of 12
-
-provisions of sections 46a -79 to 46a -81, inclusive. Any person whose
-license or approval has been revoked pursuant to this section shall be
-ineligible to apply for a license or approval for a period of one year from
-the effective date of revocation.
-(b) When the commissioner intends to suspend or revoke a license or
-approval or take any other action against a license or approval set forth
-in regulation adopted pursuant to section 19a -79, the commissioner
-shall notify the licensee or approved staff member in writing of the
-commissioner's intended action. The licensee or approved staff member
-may, if aggrieved by such intended action, make application for a
-hearing in writing over the licensee's or approved staff member's
-signature to the commissioner. T he licensee or approved staff member
-shall state in the application in plain language the reasons why the
-licensee or approved staff member claims to be aggrieved. The
-application shall be delivered to the commissioner within thirty days of
-the licensee's or approved staff member's receipt of notification of the
-intended action. The commissioner shall thereupon hold a hearing
-within sixty days from receipt of such application and shall, at least ten
-days prior to the date of such hearing, mail a notice, giving the time and
-place of the hearing, to the licensee or approved staff member. The
-provisions of this subsection shall not apply to the denial of an initial
-application for a license or approval under section 19a-87b, provided the
-commissioner shall noti fy the applicant of any such denial and the
-reasons for such denial by mailing written notice to the applicant at the
-applicant's address shown on the license or approval application.
-(c) Any person who applies or  is licensed to conduct, operate or
-maintain a family child care home or approved to act as an assistant or
-substitute staff member in a family child care home shall notify the
-commissioner of any conviction or placement on the child abuse and
-neglect registry, established pursuant to section 17a-101k, of the owner,
-conductor, operator or maintainer of the family child care home or of
-Substitute Senate Bill No. 137
-
-Public Act No. 26-105 7 of 12
-
-any household member, as defined in subsection (c) of section 19a -87b,
-who is [sixteen] eighteen years of age or older, or any person employed
-in such family child care home in a position connected with the
-provision of care to a child receiving child care services, [of a crime
-which affects the commissioner's discretion under subsection (a) of this
-section,] immediately upon obtaining knowledge of such conviction or
-placement on the registry . Failure to comply with the notification
-requirement of this subs ection may result in the suspension or
-revocation of the license or approval or the taking of any other action
-against a license or approval set forth in regulation adopted pursuant to
-section 19a-79 and shall subject the licensee or approved staff member
-to a civil penalty of not more than one hundred dollars per day for each
-day after the person obtained knowledge of the conviction or placement
-on the registry.
-(d) It shall be a class A misdemeanor for any person seeking
-employment in a position connected with the provision of care to a child
-receiving family child care home services to make a false written
-statement regarding prior criminal convictions pursuant to a form
-bearing notice to the effect that such false statements are punishable,
-which statement such person does not believe to be true and is intended
-to mislead the prospective employer.
-(e) Any person having reasonable cause to believe that a family child
-care home, as defined in section 19a -77, is operating without a current
-and valid license or in violation of the regulations adopted under section
-19a-87b or in a manner which may pose a potential danger to the health,
-welfare and safety of a child receiv ing child care services, may report
-such information to the Office of Early Childhood . The office shall
-investigate any report or complaint received pursuant to this subsection.
-The name of the person making the report or complaint shall not be
-disclosed unless (1) such person consents to such disclosure, (2) a
-judicial or administrative proceeding results from such report or
-Substitute Senate Bill No. 137
-
-Public Act No. 26-105 8 of 12
-
-complaint, or (3) a license action pursuant to subsection (a) of this
-section results from such report or complaint. All records obtained by
-the office in connection with any such investigation shall not be subject
-to the provisions of section 1 -210 for a period of thirty days from the
-date of the petition or other event initiating such investigation, or until
-such time as the investigation is terminated  pursuant to a withdrawal
-or other informal disposition or until a hearing is convened pursuant to
-chapter 54, whichever is earlier. A formal statement of charges issued
-by the office shall be subject to the provisions of section 1 -210 from the
-time that it is served or mailed to the respondent. Records which are
-otherwise public records shall not be deemed confidential merely
-because they have been obtained in connection with an inves tigation
-under this section.
-(f) If the commissioner finds that public health, safety or welfare
-imperatively requires emergency action, and incorporates a finding to
-that effect in his or her order, the commissioner may order summary
-suspension or summary probation of a license issued under section 19a-
-87b pending proceedings for revocation or other action. These
-proceedings shall be promptly instituted and determined.
-Sec. 5. Section 10 -530 of the general statutes is repealed and the
-following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026):
-(a) As used in this section:
-(1) "Child care facility" means a "child care center", "group child care
-home" or "family child care home" that provides "child care services",
-each as described in section 19a-77, or any provider of child care services
-under the child care subsidy program est ablished pursuant to section
-17b-749;
-(2) "Child care services provider or staff member" means any person
-who is (A) a licensee, employee, volunteer, [or alternate] staff, program
-Substitute Senate Bill No. 137
-
-Public Act No. 26-105 9 of 12
-
-staff, assistant, substitute staff member or household member of a child
-care facility, (B) a family child care provider, or (C) [any other] a person
-who provides child care services under the child care subsidy program
-established pursuant to section 17b -749 but does not include a person
-who is providing child care services under the child care subsidy
-program (i) exclusively to children with w hom such person is related,
-and (ii) without being issued a license to provide child care services by
-the Office of Early Childhood; [and]
-(3) "Family child care provider" means any person who provides
-child care services under the child care subsidy program established
-pursuant to section 17b-749 (A) in a family child care home, as defined
-in section 19a -77, or (B) in a home not requiring a lice nse pursuant to
-subdivision (4) of subsection (b) of section 19a-77;
-(4) "Licensee" means any person licensed under section 19a-80 or 19a-
-87b to provide child care services;
-(5) "Employee" means any person paid to work for a family child care
-provider as a substitute staff member or assistant or as staff or program
-staff in a child care center or group child care home;
-(6) "Volunteer" means any person who is not an employee of a child
-care center or group child care home and whose activities involve the
-direct care of children or the opportunity for unsupervised access to
-children;
-(7) "Staff" means any person employed by a child care center or group
-child care home, sixteen years of age or older, who is not responsible for
-providing direct care of children or does not have unsupervised access
-to children;
-(8) "Program staff" means any person employed by a child care center
-or group child care home, sixteen years of age or older, responsible for
-the direct care of children;
-Substitute Senate Bill No. 137
-
-Public Act No. 26-105 10 of 12
-
-(9) "Assistant" means any person who has been approved pursuant
-to section 19a -87b to provide child care services in a family child care
-home;
-(10) "Substitute staff member" means any person who has been
-approved pursuant to section 19a-87b to provide child care services in a
-family child care home; and
-(11) "Household member" means any person, other than the licensee,
-who is eighteen years of age or older and resides in the family child care
-home.
-(b) The comprehensive background checks required pursuant to
-subsection (c) of section 19a -80, subsection (c) of section 19a -87b and
-subsection (a) of section 17b-749k, shall be conducted at least once every
-five years for each child care services provider or staff member [in
-accordance with the provisions of 45 CFR 98.43, as amended from time
-to time] and shall include a national and state criminal history records
-check conducted in accordance with section 29 -17a, a check of the state
-and national sex offe nder registries, a check of the state child abuse or
-neglect registry maintained by the Department of Children and Families
-pursuant to section 17a -101k, and a check of the child abuse or neglect
-registry for any other state in which such child care services provider or
-staff member resided in the previous five years.
-(c) Any person who applies for a position at a child care facility in the
-state shall not be required to submit to such comprehensive background
-checks if such person (1) is an employee of a child care facility in the
-state, or has not been separated from employment as a child care
-services provider or staff member in the state for a period of more than
-one hundred eighty days , and (2) has successfully completed such
-comprehensive background checks in the previous five years. Nothing
-in this section prohibi ts the Commissioner of Early Childhood from
-requiring that a person applying for a position as a child care services
-Substitute Senate Bill No. 137
-
-Public Act No. 26-105 11 of 12
-
-provider or staff member submit to comprehensive background checks
-more than once during a five-year period.
-(d) Any person required to submit to comprehensive background
-checks pursuant to subsection (c) of section 19a -80, subsection (c) of
-section 19a -87b and subsection (a) of section 17b -749k, may submit a
-request, in writing, to the Commissioner of Early Childhoo d for a
-waiver of the requirement to submit fingerprints. Such request shall
-include such person's name and date of birth, and evidence that such
-person is unable to satisfy such fingerprints requirement due to a
-medical condition, including, but not limited to, a birth defect, physical
-deformity, skin condition or psychiatric condition. Upon the granting of
-a waiver to a person under this subsection, the Office of Early Childhood
-shall conduct a state criminal history records check of such person by
-using the name and date of birth that was provided in the request for a
-waiver by such person.
-Sec. 6. Subsection (b) of section 19a -87a of the general statutes is
-repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1,
-2026):
-(b) Any person who is licensed to conduct, operate or maintain a
-child care center or group child care home shall notify the commissioner
-of any criminal conviction or placement on the child abuse and neglect
-registry, established pursuant to section 17a -101k, of the owner,
-conductor, operator or maintainer of the center or home or of any person
-employed therein in a position connected with the provision of care to
-a child receiving child care services, immediately upon obtaining
-knowledge of the conviction or placement on the registry . Failure to
-comply with the notification requirement may result in the suspension
-or revocation of the license or the imposition of any action set forth in
-regulation, and shall subject the licensed person to a civil penalty of not
-more than one hundred dollars per day for each day after the person
-obtained knowledge of the conviction or placement on the registry.
-Substitute Senate Bill No. 137
-
-Public Act No. 26-105 12 of 12
-
-Governor's Action:
-Approved June 4, 2026
+Section 3 of the bill results in both a cost and revenue gain to the state
+as a result of changing the definition of "day camp" to align more closely
+with the definition of "youth camp", which will require licensure
+through the Office of Early Childhood (OEC). Both the total cost to OEC
+and the resulting revenue gain will depend on the number of new day
+camps seeking licensure under the bill’s revised definition.
+For reference, camp fees are set at $315 annually for non-profits and
+$815 for for-profit camps.
+The bill makes other clarifying, technical and conforming changes
+that do not have a fiscal impact.
+The Out Years
+The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
+continue into the future subject to the OEC youth camp licensure fee
+schedule.