Student learning recovery

HB 1008, "Student learning recovery grant program" passed unanimously out of the House Committee on Ways and Means on Wednesday afternoon. If passed, it would appropriate $150,000,000 from the State budget to address student learning loss due to school and program closures and other issues presented as a result of COVID-19. 

MCCOY and other supporting organizations and individuals sent a letter of support for this bill to the full House Ways and Means committee and their staff on Wednesday morning before it was heard. Next, the bill will be presented before the full House chamber for further amendments and passage.

TANF Eligibility

Senate Bill 233, TANF Eligibility, passed 6-2 in the Senate Family and Children Services Committee on Monday. 

Currently, the eligibility levels for TANF, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, have not  increased since 1988. Because this level has not accounted for inflation over the past three decades, a family would have to make almost 90 percent less than current federal poverty guidelines to be eligible for the benefit. Even then, they’d receive just $288 in assistance each month. MCCOY supports S233 because if passed, it would adjust the eligibility requirements based on current cost of living adjustments and would increase certain payments through the program.

Daycare licensure exemption

HB 1101, Daycare licensure exemption in declared emergency, passed unanimously in the House committee on Family, Human, and Children affairs on Wednesday morning.

If passed, the bill would carve out a very narrow exemption to current licensure laws to allow youth service providers such as the YMCA or other youth service camps to provide care for children in grades K-12 during the school day in the event of a disaster emergency (which can include public health emergencies, weather events, or any other public calamity that could force schools to close for safety reasons). 

MCCOY supports HB 1101 because it creates added support to families by ensuring parents can still go to their jobs and students will have a safe place to go to engage in remote learning if schools abruptly close during an emergency. 

Other legislative wins

HB 1261, Closed Captioning, passed out of the Commerce, Small Business, and Economic Development committee this week. This bill will simply require public businesses to turn on the closed captioning on any tv's that are available for public viewing. This will not only help our friends who are deaf or hard of hearing, but can also help kids who are learning to read or people who are learning English!

HB 1537, Commission on Improving the Status of Children, passed the House committee on Family, Human, and Children affairs. We are excited that this legislation adds two membership positions to the commission specifically for young people between the ages of 18-29 who have experience hardships such as placement in the foster care system or juvenile justice system. More youth voices need to be in the rooms where decisions are made!

HB1006, Law Enforcement Officers, passed the House committee on Courts and Criminal Code. If passed, this bill will require mandatory training in de-escalation, makes it a class A misdemeanor if a police officer intentionally turns off his/her body camera to conceal a criminal act, and requires an agency hiring a law enforcement officer to request the officer's employment record. It also defines the term "chokehold." What we hope to see instead? A complete BAN on chokeholds.