PennAEYC stays current on proposals and actions to change the early care and education system at the state and federal levels so we can influence the outcome and inform our members and other concerned Pennsylvanians of possible change.

PennAEYC Positions Statements

PennAEYC monitors and responds to legislative, regulatory and administrative actions impacting the early care and education system at the state and federal levels. Learn more about current proposals by downloading our position statements. If you have questions please contact Kimberly Early.

2025-26 Pennsylvania Legislation

House Bill – Carbon Monoxide Alarm Standards in Children's Institutions and Family Child Care Homes

House Bill 156 amends the Human Services Code at Article X, specific to for-profit child care centers and family child care homes, establishing carbon monoxide alarm standards. The bill requires that each building where a child care center and family child care home is operating that uses fossil-fuel-burning heater or appliance, fireplace or in an attached garage, have an operational, centrally located and approved carbon monoxide alarm installed and was amended to require it within fifteen feet of the heater or appliance, fireplace or attached garage. A carbon monoxide alarm would also need to be located on every level of the child care center or family child care home.

The Department of Human Services would be authorized to take enforcement action against a child care center and family child care home for a violation of the carbon monoxide alarm requirements in Articles IX and X and the regulations.

The bill was amended and now requires that the carbon monoxide alarms be installed within 15 feet of any fossil-fuel-burning heater or appliance, fireplace or attached garage.

The bill would take effect in 90 days with child care centers and family child care homes required to meet the carbon monoxide alarm requirement within 18 months of the effective date.

Download PennAEYC’s position statement here:

HB 156 PN 1302 PennAEYC Trying Together First Up Position Statement

HB 156 PN 1047 PennAEYC Trying Together First Up Position Statement 

HB 156 PN 116 PennAEYC Trying Together First Up Position Statement

 

House Bill - Child Care Recruitment and Retention

House Bill 506 would establish the Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program to distribute annual retention and recruitment funds to qualified child care providers. PennAEYC strongly supports HB 506. Child care programs have struggled to recruit and retain the workforce they need to keep classrooms and programs open due to the extremely low compensation in the sector and this is constricting the supply of child care for working families. HB 506 would allow for the implementation of the proposed investment of $55 million for the new and recurring Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention line item in the 2025-2026 state budget. This implementing legislation will begin to address the child care staffing crisis and its impact on working families, businesses and the economy.

 

House Bill - Epinephrine Delivery System

House Bill 928 amends the Title 35 (Health and Safety) Section 5503 to require child care facilities to acquire and stock epinephrine delivery systems if funding is designated to the Department of Health (DOH).

As amended, a definition for “day-care facility” and “epinephrine delivery system” was added. Health care practitioners can already prescribe and pharmacists and health care practitioners can already dispense epinephrine delivery systems in the name of a child care facility. The bill, as amended, requires child care facilities to acquire and stock epinephrine delivery systems, based on the funding being designated to the Department of Health (DOH).

The bill outlines requirements regarding the storage of epinephrine delivery systems, which remain the same as current practices. The bill maintains current requirements of a child care facility to designate employees or agents who have completed the required training to be responsible for the storage, maintenance, control and general oversight of epinephrine delivery systems acquired by the child care facility.

The bill maintains that the employee, agent or other individual associated with the child care facility who has completed the training may use epinephrine delivery systems for the immediate administration to any individual, the parent, guardian or caregiver of the individual, who they believe, in good faith, is experiencing anaphylaxis, regardless if they have a prescription or a diagnosed allergy.

As amended, the bill requires each employee or agent of the child care facility to complete the anaphylaxis training as required by DOH. The bill maintains that the required training by the DOH must be conducted by a nationally recognized organization experienced in training laypersons in emergency health treatment, a health care practitioner employed by the child care facility or an entity or individual approved by DOH. As amended, the training must be conducted in English, Spanish and any other language deemed appropriate by the DOH. The training can be conducted online or in-person and at a minimum must cover the following, as amended:

  1. How to recognize signs and symptoms of severe allergic reactions in children and adults, including anaphylaxis;
  2. Standards and procedures for the storage and administration of epinephrine delivery systems; and
  3. Emergency follow-up procedures.

The bill requires that DOH, in consultation with the Department of Human Services, develop, within 90 days, informational materials for child care facilities to distribute to a parent or guardian of a child in the facility’s care. The informational materials must include the signs and symptoms of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, the requirements for prescribing and dispensing epinephrine, the requirements on the supply of epinephrine delivery systems, the requirements on the storage of epinephrine delivery systems, the use of epinephrine delivery systems and the anaphylaxis training program. As amended, the requirements to include any emergency treatment procedures to be followed if an incident occurs and any food allergy policy the child care facility has in place, including a plan specific to a child are removed. Informational materials must be updated on a triennial basis. The child care facility must provide the informational materials to the parent or guardian, as amended, within 90 days of the effective date for children already enrolled or at the time the agreement for admission is signed for newly enrolled children.

The Good Samaritan protections remain for child care facilities to be protected from being liable for any injuries or related damages, if they possess and make available epinephrine delivery systems.

The bill would take effect in 180 days.

Download PennAEYC’s position statement here:  HB 928 PN 1979 PennAEYC Trying Together First Up Position Statement

 

House Bill - Subsidized Child Care Exit Eligibility

House Bill 1108 would amend the Human Services Code to allow copayments under the child care subsidy program to also be based on considerations to support economic self-sufficiency in addition to the family’s annual income.

The bill amends eligibility at redetermination for subsidized child care, to the extent that money is appropriated to 300% of FPIG or 85% of the SMI, whichever is lower. Beginning fiscal year 2023-2024 and each fiscal year thereafter, no less than $25 million from the child care services line item must be used for this purpose.

As amended, the bill removes language around minimum copayment amounts and replaces it with language that requires that copayments be in accordance with federal and state law. Copayments are to be rounded to the nearest whole number and do not apply to special populations determined by the Department of Human Services. As amended, a family’s annual copayment must not be less than 3 percent and not more than 7 percent of the family’s annual income, if they are at or below 235 percent of FPIG.  If the family’s income exceeds 235 percent of FPIG but not more than 300 percent of FPIG, the copayment must not be less than 7 percent and not more than 12 percent of the family’s income. The bill would also remove language related to redetermination focused upon copayment deductions. It also repeals language in the Fiscal Code related to the $25 million dedicated in the Child Care Services line item to increase exit eligibility to remove duplication in statute.

The act would take effect immediately.

Download PennAEYC’s position statement here:  HB 1108 PN 1940 PennAEYC Trying Together First Up Position Statement

 

House Bill - Keystone STARS

HB 1600 amends the Human Services Code, Articles IX and X, to add a section to allow child care facilities, as amended to:

  • Post their STAR-level rating on their website;
  • Provide the STAR-level rating in writing to the parent in a linguistically appropriate manner along with the DHS website where information on the Keystone STARS Program can be found and;
  • Obtain the DHS-issued placard with their STAR-level rating which may be posted in a public-facing location.

HB 1600 was amended to replace the term “child care provider” with “child care facility.” DHS would be responsible for issuing the placards, which must be clear, visible, readable and linguistically appropriate. The placard must also include the child care facility name, DHS' name, the date the placard was issued, STAR-level, and address, phone number, website with information on the Keystone STARS Program and the email address of DHS.

HB 1600 also requires DHS to issue guidance that establishes a Keystone STARS rubric which would provide a pathway for child care facilities to permit appropriate demonstration of a combination of staff qualifications, work experience and professional development, quality early childhood education program activities, partnerships with families and communities and effective leadership and program management when applying for additional STARS.

The bill also makes updates to the term “day care” to change it to “child care” in Articles IX and X.

The act would take effect in 180 days.

Download PennAEYC’s position statement here:  HB 1600 PN 1944 PennAEYC Trying Together First Up Position Statement

 

Senate Bill – Part-day School-age Program Attendance Eligibility

SB 766 amends the Human Services Code in Article X regarding attendance eligibility in part-day school-age programs. The bill excludes children who are eligible to attend kindergarten within 90 days of the upcoming school year, following the local school district’s age requirements or are attending kindergarten and under 16 years of age from following the part-day school-age requirements in Title 55 Pa Code Chapter 3270.3a.

A part-day school-age program is a program that operates for less than 90 consecutive days per calendar year.

The act would take effect immediately.

Download PennAEYC’s position statement here:  SB 766 PN 987 PennAEYC Trying Together First Up Position Statement

 

Pennsylvania Legislation from Previous Legislative Sessions

PN refers to the term "printer's number". Bills have a printer’s number in the upper right-hand corner, known as the printer’s number. If a bill is amended, it is given a new printer’s number to reflect changes have been made to the bill. All previous numbers are in the upper left-hand corner of a bill.

For information on how to read a bill, please go here.