Comité Children and Families del Senado, 10 de marzo de 2026

Transcripción

58 turnos. Seleccione un tiempo para reproducir ese momento del video.

1. 0:11:16

   Waiting on a quorum, and with Senator Burns and Senator Brass we will have one. So, uh, Senator Payne, will you open us up in prayer, please?

2. 0:11:24

   Sure I will, Mr. Chairman. Dear Franklin, dear Heavenly Father, Lord, we thank you so much for this day. We thank you for every blessing that you give to us, Lord. The, the breath of life that sustains us. We just ask you to lead us and guide us through the proceedings of this meeting and that, that we would serve your will in all things that we do. For it's in Jesus' name we pray, amen.

3. 0:11:42

   Thank you. All right, we have one bill on the agenda today, House Bill 1123. Pro Tem Jones. You can sit wherever you want, the chair or the podium. What- whatever makes you more comfortable.

4. 0:11:55

   Well, thank you, uh, Mr. Chairman, members of the committee. Um, House Bill 1123 doesn't do a whole lot of things. It just does one thing. Um-

5. 0:12:05

   Before you start, let's just make sure we have... It's LC 492546.

6. 0:12:09

   Let's see here. LC 492526- 46.

7. 0:12:13

   46.

8. 0:12:13

   That's right.

9. 0:12:13

   Okay. Sorry to interrupt.

10. 0:12:14

    And so I- we had a study committee on pre-K two years ago and made a lot of changes. This was the w- one of the few things that I just sort of left and didn't get to. Um, in looking at pre-K and trying to help working families, um, and make services available so that mothers and fathers can work, um, I found that out- the vast majority of school systems offer pre-K in their school system, 'cause a lot of families need the school bus.

11. 0:12:48

    Um, a- and just to put it in context, half of pre-K classes paid for by the lottery are located in public school systems, and half are in private, uh, day cares or childcare facilities. So this only pertains to the school systems. Of the m- vast majority of school systems that offer at least one pre-K class, um, 95 systems offer pre-K classes, and they make after-school services available to pre-K and K through 5.

12. 0:13:22

    So if you're a working parent, you can leave the child there for a couple hours afterwards. Now, you pay for it. The parents pay for it. This is not subsidized other than the facility. Um, but there are 22 school systems that do not off- make after-school care available to their pre-c- to their pre-K students. So if you're a parent, you have a pre-K student, you have a first-grade student, your first-grade student can stay after school while you work. Your pre-K cannot. And so what this, uh, bill would do in working with DECAL, um, it would require if you offer pre-K and you make- and you offer after-school care to your K through 5, you make it a- available to your pre-K students on the same basis.

13. 0:14:09

    Um, we-- It, it does allow DECAL to offer year-to-year waivers s- uh, to school systems for extenuating circumstances as they implement it. I looked at all the different, um, types of services they offer. S- Most school systems offer it themselves. A few of them do, uh, contract it out. And I looked at the 22 school systems, and of, um, the ones that, uh, that do not offer- make pre-K available, make after-school services available, they do- they are all contract with the same ones that others do.

14. 0:14:52

    And so we couldn't really find a good reason for them not to offer it. Certainly, they would have availability of space, 'cause they have the entire school. It's after school, and it's only for, uh, elementary schools. But I would be happy to answer any questions.

15. 0:15:07

    Any questions? I'm ready. Senator Mallow.

16. 0:15:11

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, to Madam Speaker Pro Tem Jones, my only question would be, uh, for those districts that did not, would there have been any hesitation because their pre-K teachers are not on the K-12 QBE salary schedule? So most pre-K teachers that are employed by districts are employed wholly by the district themselves.

17. 0:15:32

    No. In fact, usually it's not the pre-K teacher necessarily that stays after school. It could be other part-time employees that they hire, or they contract it out.

18. 0:15:42

    Okay.

19. 0:15:42

    And so we looked at the reasons DECAL collected all the reasons, and the same potential reasons existed for all the vast majority of other systems that made it available, 'cause they make it available to kindergartners. But it, it just, um... You know, trying to be work-friendly and job-friendly and encourage, you know, working families that- in which both of them, one or both, wanna work, um, this just seemed to be a small way that we could make it more available.

20. 0:16:15

    Good. Thank you.

21. 0:16:20

    Any other questions?

22. 0:16:23

    Comment.

23. 0:16:24

    All right. Uh, Senator Burns, what number are you?

24. 0:16:26

    Uh, number four.

25. 0:16:27

    Number four. All right.

26. 0:16:28

    I just wanna, uh, thank Speaker Pro Tem. Uh, this may be the last bill that you have in front of this committee, Madam-

27. 0:16:33

    Probably

28. 0:16:33

    ... Speaker Pro Tem. And I just wanna say thank you to you for your years of service and dedication and your leadership, especially in early childhood issues. Thank you very much, and I certainly support the bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

29. 0:16:44

    Thank you, sir.

30. 0:16:48

    All right. Uh, we are waiting on Senator Brass, who's in the other room, to come out. And then, uh, I'll entertain a motion at that time. Let me go check on Senator Brass.

31. 0:16:57

    Okay. Thank you.

32. 0:17:04

    It must be the rules committee in there.

33. 0:17:06

    Can't be sure. The rules.

34. 0:17:09

    Rules and rules.

35. 0:17:11

    Hmm.

36. 0:17:12

    Rules and rules.

37. 0:17:17

    Hmm.

38. 0:17:29

    Miss the people in the capital, including all of you. Certainly miss wors- working on the issues. I-- After 24 years, I will not miss being elected. But that-

39. 0:17:41

    Thank you, Senator Jones.

40. 0:17:41

    But remember, I had a long time to get my fill.

41. 0:17:43

    Senator Freeman.

42. 0:17:44

    So I enjoyed it for 24 years.

43. 0:17:45

    At the appropriate time, Mr. Chairman.

44. 0:17:47

    I'll entertain that motion.

45. 0:17:48

    Uh, motion do pass-

46. 0:17:49

    Thank you

47. 0:17:50

    ... on, uh, House Bill 1123 LC492546.

48. 0:17:54

    All right, do we have a second?

49. 0:17:54

    Second.

50. 0:17:55

    Second by Senator Mallow. All those in favor, raise your hand. It passed unanimously.

51. 0:17:59

    Thank you.

52. 0:17:59

    Thank you very much.

53. 0:18:00

    Thank you, Madam Speaker Pro Tem.

54. 0:18:02

    It wasn't too bad now.

55. 0:18:03

    And with that, we are adjourned.

56. 0:18:05

    Ah.

57. 0:18:05

    Thank you very much.

58. 0:18:06

    You'll get another-