SB 137 — AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD.

137 (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;

and sSB137(11) /"Household Filemember" No.means any person, other than the licensee, who is eighteen years of age or older and resides in the family child care home.

492 9 sSB137 File No.

492 (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.

Nothing in this section prohibits the Commissioner of Early Childhood from requiring that a person applying for a position as a child care services providerPublic orAct staffNo. member submit to comprehensive background checks more than once during a five-year period.

26-105 10 of 12 Substitute Senate Bill No.

137 provider or staff member submit to comprehensive background checks more than once during a five-year period.

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 sSB137medical /condition, Fileincluding, No.but not limited to, a birth defect, physical deformity, skin condition or psychiatric condition.

492 10 sSB137 File No.

492 medical condition, including, but not limited to, a birth defect, physical deformity, skin condition or psychiatric condition.

7.6.

ThisPublic actAct shallNo. take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:

Section26-105 111 Julyof 1,12 2026Substitute 10-16z(a)Senate Sec.Bill No.

2137 JulyGovernor's 1,Action: 2026 10-506(a) July 1, 2026 Sec.

3Approved 19a-420(3)June Sec.4, 2026 Public Act No.

426-105 October12 1,of 202612 New section Sec.

5 July 1, 2026 19a-87e Sec.

6 July 1, 2026 10-530 Sec.

7 July 1, 2026 19a-87a(b) ED Joint Favorable Subst.

sSB137 / File No.

492 11 sSB137 File No.

492 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.

Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note 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 See Below See Below Gain Note:

GF=General Fund Municipal Impact:

Municipalities Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $ Local and Regional School Revenue See Below See Below Districts Gain 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 $97,500per 15-student classroom).The overallSmart 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 thetotalappropriationto $6.3million.Althoughthebilldoesnot 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.

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 sSB137 / File No.

492 12 sSB137 File No.

492 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.

sSB137 / File No.

492 13 sSB137 File No.

492 OLR Bill Analysis sSB 137 AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

§ 1 — NEW MEMBER TO EARLY CHILDHOOD CABINET Adds a licensed pediatrician, appointed by the governor, to the Early Childhood Cabinet § 2 — SMART START GRANT RATE INCREASE Increases the maximum per child and per classroom grant a school board can receive under the Smart Start program § 3 — DAY CAMP LICENSING STANDARD Modifies the standard for determining whether a day camp must be licensed by OEC § 4 — EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM AND YOUTH CAMPS Requires youth camps to (1) give OEC the camp’s contact information and (2) receive notices from an emergency notification system whenever there is an emergency situation in the area that could affect the children’s safety § 6 — DEFINITION EXPANSION AND BACKGROUND CHECK REQUIREMENTS FOR CHILD CARE PROVIDERS AND STAFF MEMBERS Clarifies and adds new definitions for each person under the child care services provider or staff member definition who must undergo a background check §§ 5 & 7 — NOTIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES ON CHILD ABUSE REGISTRY Requires child care providers to notify OEC if they have knowledge that a worker at their facility is listed on the child abuse and neglect registry;

makes related conforming changes BACKGROUND EFFECTIVE DATE:

July 1, 2026, except that the provision on the sSB137 / File No.

492 14 sSB137 File No.

492 emergency notification system takes effect October 1, 2026.

§ 1 — NEW MEMBER TO EARLY CHILDHOOD CABINET Adds a licensed pediatrician, appointed by the governor, to the Early Childhood Cabinet By law, the Early Childhood Cabinet advises the Office of Early Childhood (OEC) commissioner and annually develops reports required under the federal Head Start program.

The bill adds a licensed pediatrician, appointedby thegovernor,tothecabinet,which bringsthe cabinet membership to 33.

§ 2 — SMART START GRANT RATE INCREASE Increases the maximum per child and per classroom grant a school board can receive under the Smart Start program By law, OEC, in consultation with the state Department of Education, administers the Connecticut Smart Start competitive grant program to give schoolboardsgrantsfor capital andoperating expensesto establish or expand preschool programs.

Under the program, school boards may receive (1)a one-time capital expensesgrant upto $75,000per classroom and (2) an annual operating expenses grant in an amount based on either the number of children or preschool classrooms in the program.

The bill increases the maximum annual operating expenses grant from$5,000to$6,500perchildandfrom$75,000to$97,500perpreschool classroom.

§ 3 — DAY CAMP LICENSING STANDARD Modifies the standard for determining whether a day camp must be licensed by OEC The bill modifies the standard for determining whether a day camp must be licensed by OEC.

Currently, a day camp must be licensed by OEC if it operates during daylight hours for at least three days a week and campers eat and sleep at home except for one meal per day.

The bill instead requires day camps to be OEC-licensed if they operate during daylight hours for:

1.

at least three hours per day, for at least three days per week, with sSB137 / File No.

492 15 sSB137 File No.

492 the campers sleeping at home, or 2.

more than one session per day, for at least two hours per session, if children are allowed to enroll in more than one session per day.

Under existing law, unchanged by the bill, these day camps do not include municipally run programs.

§ 4 — EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM AND YOUTH CAMPS Requires youth camps to (1) give OEC the camp’s contact information and (2) receive notices from an emergency notification system whenever there is an emergency situation in the area that could affect the children’s safety The bill requires every OEC-licensed youth camp (licensee) to provide, verify, and update OEC (when appropriate) with their youth camp’s contact information, including its name, address, and telephone number.

The bill also requires OEC to share this contact information, in a memorandum of understanding or other agreement, with the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection for use in an emergency notification system that notifies licensees about emergency situations (such as a fire;

criminal act;

emergency;

or act of nature, such as an earthquake or hurricane) that occur in a youth camp’s vicinity or that may endanger the safety or wellbeing of the children at the camp.

§ 6 — DEFINITION EXPANSION AND BACKGROUND CHECK REQUIREMENTS FOR CHILD CARE PROVIDERS AND STAFF MEMBERS Clarifies and adds new definitions for each person under the child care services provider or staff member definition who must undergo a background check Child Care Services Provider or Staff Member Definition Modification and Expansion The bill and current law apply to the three types of licensed settings:

(1) child care centers, (2) group child care homes, and (3) family child care homes (see BACKGROUND).

The bill makes distinctions between child care staff, program staff, assistants, and substitute staff members, who all must have background checks under the bill.

sSB137 / File No.

492 16 sSB137 File No.

492 By law, a “childcare servicesprovider or staffmember” isany person who is (1) a licensee, employee, volunteer, assistant, or household member of a child care facility;

(2) a family child care provider;

or (3) generally a person who provides child care services under the Care 4 Kids child care subsidy program.

Also in current law, a “child care services provider or staff member” includes any person who is an alternate staff or substitute.

The bill (1) eliminates “alternate staff,” (2) clarifies “substitute” means “substitute staff member,” and (3) adds “staff” and “program staff” to the definition.

Additionally, the bill adds statutory definitions for the subset of terms included in the expanded definition of child care services provider or staff member, as described in the table below.

Table:

Child Care Services Providers’ or Staff Members’ Definitions Under the Bill Child Care Staff Member or Household Definition Under Bill Member Any (1) person paid to work for a family child care provider as Employee a substitute staff member or assistant or (2) staff or program staff in a child care center or group child care home Any person (1) who is not a child care center or group child care home employee and (2) whose activities involve the Volunteer direct care of, or the opportunity for unsupervised access to, children Any person who is (1) employed by a child care center or Staff group child care home and (2) at least age 16, but who is not directly responsible for children’s care Any person who is (1) employed by a child care center or Program Staff group child care home, (2) at least age 16, and (3) directly responsible for children’s care Any person approved by OEC to provide child care services Assistant in a family child care home Substitute Staff Member Any person approved by OEC to provide child care services in a family child care home Any person (other than the licensee) who (1) is at least age Household Member 18 and (2) resides in the family child care home Background Check for Child Care Services Providers or Staff Members sSB137 / File No.

492 17 sSB137 File No.

492 By law, each of the following types of child care services providers or staff members must undergo a background check:

(1) prospective employee at a child care center or group child care home;

(2) person applying for a family child care home license;

or (3) person, other than a relative, who provides child care services to a child and receives the Care 4 Kids child care subsidy.

The bill specifies that this background check must include a check of (1) national and state criminal history records as under the existing law requiring the person being checked to submit their fingerprints to the state police for the state check, and the state police submit them to the FBI for the national check;

(2) national and state sex offender registries;

(3) the state’s child abuse or neglect registry;

and (4) child abuse or neglect registries for any other state where the child care services provider or staff member lived within the last five years.

The childcare services provider or staffmember definitionexpansion and background check specifications meet related federal background check requirements (see BACKGROUND).

§§ 5 & 7 — NOTIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES ON CHILD ABUSE REGISTRY Requires child care providers to notify OEC if they have knowledge that a worker at their facility is listed on the child abuse and neglect registry;

makes related conforming changes Child Care Center or Group Child Care Home By law, any person who is licensed to operate a child care center or group child care home must notify OEC if the owner, conductor, operator, maintainer, or employee of the center or home is convicted of any crime.

Failure to comply with this notification requirement (1) may result in license suspension or revocation and (2) subjects the licensed person at the child care facility to a civil penalty of no more than $100 per day for each day after the person learned about the conviction.

The bill additionally requires these licensed child care centers and group homes to notify OEC if the owner, conductor, operator, maintainer, or employee is placed on the child abuse and neglect registry.

Failure to disclose knowledge of registry placement is subject sSB137 / File No.

492 18 sSB137 File No.

492 to thesame disciplinary measuresasknowledge ofcriminalconvictions.

Family Child Care Homes The bill makes similar modifications to family child care homes by subjecting any person who applies or is licensed to operate a family child care home or any household member at least age 18 to the same requirements listed above.

For family child care homes, the bill also:

1.

adds household members to the list of child care workers that must be reported if they have a criminal conviction or are on the registry;

2.

changes the age of a household member in a family child care home to someone who is at least age 18, rather than at least age (related provisions already apply to those at least age 18 for household member background checks);

and 3.

aligns the family child care home statute with the child care center and group child care home statute by requiring OEC notification about a conviction of any crime rather than just crimes referred to under this provision.

BACKGROUND Types of Child Care Licenses By law, family child care homes provide child care usually offered in the provider’s private home, generally serving six to nine children.

Group child care homes (1) offer or provide care to between 7 and 12 children (related or unrelated) on a regular basis or (2) meet the family child care home definition, except that they do not operate in a private home.

Child care centers offer or provide care to more than 12 children outside their own homes on a regular basis (CGS § 19a-77(a)).

Related Federal Background Check Requirements Under P.L.

92-544, the FBI requires state laws requiring national criminal records checks to meet several criteria before the state may receive criminal history record information from the FBI.

Among other things, statutes requiring these records check must (1) exist as a result sSB137 / File No.

492 19 sSB137 File No.

492 of a legislative enactment;

(2) require applicants who are subject to a national criminal history background check to be fingerprinted;

(3) explicitly include that the records be submitted to the FBI or a similar wording that implies this submission (such as “national check”);

and (4) identify the specific licensee or employee categories that fall within the reporting scope.

COMMITTEE ACTION Education Committee Joint Favorable Substitute Yea 33 Nay 13 (03/18/2026) sSB137 / File No.

492 20