Georgia CommonsHB 1147: Georgia Childcare for Economic Well-Being Act; enact
Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds · Last action February 4, 2026 · Introduced
The text as LegiScan holds it, read from the PDF the legislature publishes with its margin line numbers, running heads, and page footers removed. Line breaks are joined into paragraphs here; no word is changed.
Underlined words are what the bill adds to current law and struck-through words are what it removes, as the printed bill shows them.
House Bill 1147
By: Representatives Olaleye of the 59th, Glaize of the 67th, Townsend of the 179th, Wilkerson of the 38th, Howard of the 129th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 1 of Chapter 1A of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions relative to early care and learning, so as to establish a grant program to supplement the reimbursement rates paid by the Department of Early Care and Learning to providers participating in the Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program; to provide requirements for such grants; to provide definitions; to provide for related matters; to provide for a short title; to provide for contingent effectiveness upon appropriation of funds; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Georgia Childcare for Economic Well-Being Act."
SECTION 2.
Article 1 of Chapter 1A of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions relative to early care and learning, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"20-1A-19.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Childcare and Parent Services program' and 'CAPS program' means the Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program administered by the department.
(2) 'Family fee' means the family fee paid by a family directly to a provider and that is assessed by the department based on a family's annual income and family unit size which is deducted from the reimbursement rate.
(3) 'Provider' means an early care and education program that provides child care to a child participating in the CAPS program.
(4) 'Published rate' means the full rate a provider charges for providing child care based on the age of the child and the type of care provided.
(5) 'Rate differential' means the difference between a provider's published rate and the reimbursement rate for such provider.
(6) 'Reimbursement rate' means the maximum rate paid by the department to reimburse a provider and that is based on the location where child care is provided, the type of child care provider selected, the age of the child, and the type of care provided.
(b) Subject to appropriations, the department shall establish a grant program to supplement the reimbursement rates paid to providers for children participating in the CAPS program. The department shall award a grant to each child participating in the CAPS program in an amount equal to the amount of the rate differential plus the family fee for each such child. Such grants shall be paid to the provider that provides child care for such child in the same manner as other payments made by the department to such provider as part of the CAPS program.
(c) In the event that funds appropriated for the grant program provided for in this Code section are not sufficient to award a grant to each child participating in the CAPS program, the department shall prioritize grants to children from families with the highest financial need, taking into consideration annual income, family unit size, and the family's share of the cost of child care, including the family fee and rate differential."
SECTION 3.
This Act shall become effective only if funds are specifically appropriated for the purposes of this Act in an appropriations Act making specific reference to this Act and shall become effective when funds so appropriated become available for expenditure.
SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.