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A House committee advanced legislation Wednesday that would increase oversight and safety requirements for Pennsylvania childcare facilities, with lawmakers seeking to pass the bill before the 2025-26 legislative session ends Nov. 30.
The House Children and Youth Committee unanimously advanced Senate Bill 1372, sponsored by Sen. Michele Brooks, R-Mercer, which would require greater transparency, oversight and reporting of taxpayer-funded childcare programs in Pennsylvania.
"Childcare services and costs have continued to grow, and taxpayers are funding care for some of Pennsylvania's youngest and most vulnerable children," the co-sponsor memo for SB 1372 reads. "Greater transparency, oversight and reporting are needed to ensure public dollars are used efficiently and responsibly, and that compliant childcare providers are not disadvantaged by gaps in oversight or the diversion of limited funds away from legitimate services."
The memo also states that according to the most recent quarterly report from the Department of Human Services, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning performed 1,246 inspections, evaluated 502 complaints and disciplined 21 unlicensed facilities throughout various counties, though comparable reports have not been made public since 2022.
Pennsylvania appropriates more than $420 million in state taxpayer funds for childcare services each year, in addition to hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding, bringing total annual public spending on childcare to more than $1 billion, according to the state Independent Fiscal Office and the 2025-26 state budget.
SB 1372 would require DHS to publish an annual report on inspections, violations, enforcement actions, complaints and investigations, as well as taxpayer-funded childcare payments, improper payments and amounts recouped. The report would be posted publicly and submitted to legislative committees by Jan. 1 each year.
"I will be supporting this bill today because I believe this is absolutely crucial for our taxpayers here in the Commonwealth to know what is happening within those walls of our childcare facilities," said Minority Chairwoman Kate Klunk, R-York. "Given that DHS has not posted this information since 2022 over four years, this bill is very necessary to ensure transparency."
The bill would also require childcare facilities with fossil-fuel-burning equipment, fireplaces or attached garages to have operational carbon monoxide alarms. Childcare centers and family childcare homes would also have to test fire detection systems at least monthly and keep written records, with annual testing by a fire safety professional required when monthly testing is not possible.
Majority Chairwoman Jeanne McNeill, D-Lehigh, introduced an amendment clarifying requirements for the location and approved installation of carbon monoxide alarms, as well as definitions for terms used in the bill. DHS expressed support for the amendment.
The committee amended SB 1372 unanimously. The amended bill now awaits consideration by the full House.