SB 150: Early care and education.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

(1)Existing law, the Early Education Act, among other things, requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to administer all California state preschool programs. The act establishes a standard reimbursement rate for both the part-day and full-day preschool programs, as provided. The act defines the term “attendance” for purposes of this reimbursement to include excused absences by children because of illness, quarantine, illness or quarantine of their parent, family emergency, or to spend time with a parent or other relative as required by a court of law or that is clearly in the best interest of the child.

This bill would revise the definition of the term “attendance” for purposes of reimbursement to additionally include excused absences for medical and educational appointments and for days a child is not in attendance during an appeal process regarding expulsion or suspension, as specified.

(2)The Early Education Act establishes eligibility requirements, including income eligibility requirements, and a specified priority sequence for enrollment, for the part-day and full-day preschool programs. The act requires that a family be considered to meet all eligibility and need requirements for not less than 24 months and prohibits requiring a family to report changes to income or other changes for at least 24 months. The act also establishes a fee schedule for families receiving preschool services and exempts a family from family fees for up to 12 months. The act authorizes a provider operating a state preschool program within the attendance boundary of certain public schools where at least 80% of enrolled pupils are eligible for free or reduced-price meals to enroll 3-year-old and 4-year-old children in accordance with the above-described enrollment priorities and, any remaining spots, to families not meeting the enrollment priorities but who establish residency within the attendance boundary of the qualifying public school.

This bill would revise those provisions by, among other things, (A) specifying that the prohibition on requiring a family to report changes to income or other changes for at least 24 months for purposes of eligibility includes when a family member transfers to another California state preschool program or when a child is voluntarily disenrolled by their family for any period of time during eligibility, (B) requiring the State Department of Education to, on or before January 1, 2027, implement the eligibility requirements described in (A) through management bulletins or similar letters of instruction and requiring the department to, on or before December 31, 2028, initiate a rulemaking action to implement those eligibility requirements, (C) exempting a family from family fees for up to one certification period instead of up to 12 months, (D) extending eligibility for part-day and full-day preschool programs to children of a parent or guardian employed by a local educational agency, (E) extending eligibility for full-day preschool programs to children whose families need childcare services because they are participating in a CalWORKs program activity, (F) revising the priority sequence for eligibility by including within the sequence children whose parent or guardian is employed by a local education agency, as specified, and revising the sequencing provisions for children with exceptional needs, as provided, (G) specifying, for purposes of establishing ongoing income eligibility, that ongoing income eligibility means a family’s initial income eligibility for services at the time of enrollment will be in effect, regardless of an increase in income, (H) instead authorizing a provider operating a state preschool program within the attendance boundary of a school district or certain public schools where at least 80% of enrolled pupils are eligible for free or reduced-price meals, foster youth, or English learners, to enroll 3-year-old and 4-year-old children in accordance with the above-described enrollment priorities and, any remaining spots, to families not meeting the enrollment priorities but who either establish residency within, or have a parent or guardian employed within, the attendance boundary of the qualifying school district or public school in which the state preschool program is located, and (I) increasing a California state preschool program provider’s authority to schedule staff training days from 2 days per contract period to 5 days per contract period.

(3)Existing law, the Child Care and Developmental Services Act, administered by the State Department of Social Services, establishes a system of childcare and development services for children up to 13 years of age. Existing law requires, for California state preschool programs and childcare and development programs, the State Department of Education and the State Department of Social Services to collaborate to implement a reimbursement system plan that establishes reasonable standards and assigned reimbursement rates. Existing law requires the reimbursement rate to be increased by a specified cost-of-living adjustment, except for the 2023–24, 2024–25, and 2025–26 fiscal years, for which it was suspended. Commencing July 1, 2026, existing law requires the cost-of-living adjustment for state preschool programs to be consistent with an adjustment granted by the Legislature annually, as specified.

This bill would additionally suspend the annual cost-of-living adjustment for the 2026–27 fiscal year.

Sponsors

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. July 2, 2026Re-referred to Com. on BUDGET pursuant to Assembly Rule 97.
2. June 29, 2026Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Ayes 53. Noes 14. Page 5891.)
3. June 29, 2026Withdrawn from committee pursuant to Asssembly Rule 96.
4. June 26, 2026From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on BUDGET.
5. March 24, 2025Referred to Com. on BUDGET.
6. March 20, 2025In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
7. March 20, 2025Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 10. Page 447.) Ordered to the Assembly.
8. March 18, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
9. March 17, 2025Ordered to second reading.
10. March 17, 2025Withdrawn from committee. (Ayes 27. Noes 10. Page 384.)
11. February 5, 2025Referred to Com. on B. & F. R.
12. January 24, 2025From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 23.