SB134
Public education; early childhood care and education, child care access calculation, report.
Status:
Passed
Latest Action:
March 14, 2026
Senate: Conference report agreed to by Senate (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
Chief Patron:
Mamie Locke (D)
Session:
2026 Regular Session
Summary
As Passed House of Origin. Public education; early childhood care and education; funding formula calculations; report.
Requires the Department of Education to establish and maintain a calculation to be used to provide a cost estimate for funding needed per biennium to address parental demand for the provision of early childhood care and education services and requires such calculation to include (i) an annual per-child cost (a) ... (More) determined through re-benchmarking for the Virginia Preschool Initiative, (b) based on re-benchmarking of the Department of Education's federally approved alternative methodology for the Mixed Delivery Program, and (c) based on a re-benchmarking of the Department of Education's federally approved alternative cost methodology for the Child Care Subsidy Program; (ii) an estimate of parental demand and choice preferences based on historic growth and current eligibility criteria; and (iii) an estimate of the number of slots to be added to support local or regional economic development efforts and public-private partnerships focused on increasing the supply of child care services, giving priority to localities or regions identified as child care deserts. The bill also contains several provisions relating to the use and appropriation of funds as applicable to the calculation. Finally, the bill requires the Department to submit to the Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education a report on the data used to calculate the minimum funding and number of slots for the funding formula in accordance with the provisions of the bill. (Less)-
Bill History
- 01/06/2026 - Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102085D
- 01/06/2026 - Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
- 01/15/2026 - Senate: Assigned Education sub: Public Education
- 01/15/2026 - Senate: Senate subcommittee offered
- 01/22/2026 - Senate: Senate committee offered
- 01/22/2026 - Senate: Reported from Education and Health with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N)
- 01/22/2026 - Senate: Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations
- 01/30/2026 - Senate: Committee substitute printed 26105480D-S1
- 02/03/2026 - Senate: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB134)
- 02/10/2026 - Senate: Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (15-Y 0-N)
- 02/11/2026 - Senate: Committee substitute printed 26107527D-S2
- 02/11/2026 - Senate: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB134)
- 02/11/2026 - Senate: Rules suspended
- 02/11/2026 - Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- 02/11/2026 - Senate: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- 02/12/2026 - Senate: Read second time
- 02/12/2026 - Senate: Education and Health Substitute rejected
- 02/12/2026 - Senate: Finance and Appropriations Substitute agreed to
- 02/12/2026 - Senate: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- 02/13/2026 - Senate: Read third time and passed Senate (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
- 02/18/2026 - House: Placed on Calendar
- 02/18/2026 - House: Read first time
- 02/18/2026 - House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
- 02/18/2026 - House: Assigned HAPP sub: Elementary & Secondary Education
- 02/19/2026 - House: Placed on Appropriations Agenda
- 02/20/2026 - House: Reported from Appropriations with substitute (22-Y 0-N)
- 02/20/2026 - House: Committee substitute printed 26108283D-H1
- 02/23/2026 - Senate: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB134)
- 02/24/2026 - House: Read second time
- 02/25/2026 - House: Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar
- 02/25/2026 - House: Read third time
- 02/25/2026 - House: committee substitute agreed to
- 02/25/2026 - House: Engrossed by House - committee substitute
- 02/25/2026 - House: Passed House with substitute (93-Y 3-N 0-A)
- 02/27/2026 - Senate: House substitute rejected by Senate
- 03/02/2026 - House: House insisted on substitute
- 03/02/2026 - House: House requested conference committee
- 03/04/2026 - Senate: Senate acceded to request Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- 03/04/2026 - Senate: Conferees appointed by Senate
- 03/04/2026 - Senate: Senate Conferees: Locke, Favola, Pillion
- 03/10/2026 - House: Conferees appointed by House
- 03/10/2026 - House: House Conferees: Sewell, Askew, Kent
- 03/14/2026 - Senate: Conference substitute printed 26110006D-S3
- 03/14/2026 - Conference Report released
- 03/14/2026 - House: Conference report agreed to by House (85-Y 12-N 0-A)
- 03/14/2026 - Senate: Conference report agreed to by Senate (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
