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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | June 13, 2023 03:11 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Eric R. Nelson and Rep. Stephen Kinsey |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Amending the Human Services Code to address the child care benefits cliff |
| Please join our bipartisan effort to smooth Pennsylvania’s child care cliff and eliminate a roadblock for young families working their way out of poverty. Too many times a parent must decline a job, or decrease their hours worked, because they will lose essential child care if they earn even a little above government’s set limit. In the FY 2022-2023 budget, the General Assembly included $25 million in the Child Care Services appropriation. This funding was included so that working families with increased income could still participate in the child care subsidy program if their income does not exceed 300% of the federal poverty income guidelines. The language pertaining to this funding provided that families with higher incomes will pay larger copayments toward their child care in order to promote self-sufficiency and smooth the child care benefits “cliff.” These provisions were included in the 2022-2023 Budget Implementation article of the Fiscal Code. We are proposing to amend the Human Services Code to include this language in its proper location. This will not change the legislation that was previously enacted but will simply ensure that the same framework is available if additional funding is included for this purpose in future budgets. Please consider joining us in sponsoring this legislation. |
Introduced as HB1486