REFERENCE TITLE: DES; child care; pilot program

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1224

Introduced by

Senator Fernandez

AN ACT

Establishing the tri-share child care pilot program; appropriating monies.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Tri-share child care pilot program; delayed repeal

A. The tri-share child care pilot program is established within the department of economic security to assist qualifying employees with child care costs and increase access to affordable child care.

B. The department of economic security shall designate three regional administrator hubs in this state to administer the tri-share child care pilot program.  The regional administrator hubs shall be located in different counties to ensure geographic diversity, including at least one rural county.

C. The tri-share child care pilot program shall operate on a cost sharing model in which the costs of child care are shared equally among the following:

1. The participating employees.

2. The participating employers.

3. This state through grant monies that are distributed to the regional administrator hubs.

D. To be eligible for the tri-share child care pilot program, an employee:

1. Shall be employed by a participating employer.

2. Shall have a household income that is between one hundred sixty-five percent and three hundred twenty-five percent of the federal poverty guidelines.

3. May not be eligible for any other state or federal child care subsidy program.

E. On or before December 31, 2028, the department of economic security shall submit a report to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives regarding the tri-share child care pilot program's effectiveness, including data on employee retention and the number of children served.

F. This section is repealed from and after __________.

Sec. 2. Appropriation; tri-share child care pilot program; exemption

A. The sum of $10,000,000 is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2026-2027 to the department of economic security for the purposes of establishing and administering the tri-share child care pilot program.

B. The appropriation made in subsection A of this section is exempt from the provisions of section 35-190, Arizona Revised Statutes, relating to lapsing of appropriations.