House File 2514 - Reprinted HOUSE FILE 2514 BY COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 500) (As Amended and Passed by the House February 23, 2026 ) A BILL FOR An Act making children of child care workers in this state 1 eligible for the state child care assistance program. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 HF 2514 (3) 91 dg/ko/md

H.F. 2514 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 237A.13A State child care 1 assistance —— child care workforce. 2 1. Notwithstanding any provision of section 237A.13 or 3 237A.14 to the contrary, a child shall be eligible for the 4 state child care assistance program established in section 5 237A.13 if a parent, guardian, or custodian of the child meets 6 all of the following requirements, as applicable: 7 a. The parent, guardian, or custodian is employed at a child 8 care facility or child care home located in this state, and the 9 child care facility or child care home has an agreement with 10 the department to accept reimbursement from the state child 11 care assistance program. 12 b. The parent, guardian, or custodian works in a child 13 care facility or child care home located in this state an 14 average minimum of thirty-two hours per week during the month 15 in a position with a primary duty of providing child care 16 directly to children, and is regularly counted in the minimum 17 child-to-staff ratio established by the department by rule. 18 c. (1) If the parent, guardian, or custodian is employed 19 at a child care home or a child development home, the parent, 20 guardian, or custodian does not provide child care to the 21 parent’s, guardian’s, or custodian’s own child. 22 (2) Notwithstanding subparagraph (1), a co-provider at 23 a child development home may qualify for state child care 24 assistance if the co-provider meets all requirements specified 25 in this section and by the department by rule. 26 d. The parent, guardian, or custodian is not a substitute or 27 an assistant at a child care home or a child development home. 28 e. Based on the department’s evaluation of the parent’s, 29 guardian’s, or custodian’s application for state child care 30 assistance, the department has determined the parent, guardian, 31 or custodian has a need for child care. 32 f. The parent, guardian, or custodian is not the owner of 33 the child care facility or child care home where the parent’s, 34 guardian’s, or custodian’s child is enrolled. 35 -1- HF 2514 (3) 91 dg/ko/md 1/ 3

H.F. 2514 2. A director, co-director, or other administrative 1 staff member of a child care facility may qualify for state 2 child care assistance under subsection 1 if such individual 3 is regularly counted in the minimum child-to-staff ratio 4 established by the department by rule. 5 3. A parent, guardian, or custodian of a child participating 6 in the state child care assistance program pursuant to 7 eligibility established under this section shall make 8 copayments as specified by the department by rule. 9 4. No later than December 1 of each year, the department 10 shall submit a report to the general assembly relating to 11 participation in the state child care assistance program under 12 this section. The report must include all of the following: 13 a. The dollar amount of state moneys spent to reimburse 14 child care providers during the immediately preceding fiscal 15 year. 16 b. The dollar amount of federal moneys spent to reimburse 17 child care providers during the immediately preceding fiscal 18 year. 19 c. The dollar amount of state moneys spent on administrative 20 costs during the immediately preceding fiscal year. 21 d. The dollar amount of federal moneys spent on 22 administrative costs during the immediately preceding fiscal 23 year. 24 e. The total number of participating families. 25 f. The total number of participating children. 26 g. The average gross household income for participating 27 families. 28 h. The number of participating families for each of the 29 following levels of gross household income: 30 (1) Above one hundred sixty percent but below one hundred 31 eighty percent of the federal poverty level. 32 (2) At or above one hundred eighty percent but below two 33 hundred percent of the federal poverty level. 34 (3) At or above two hundred percent but below two hundred 35 -2- HF 2514 (3) 91 dg/ko/md 2/ 3

H.F. 2514 twenty percent of the federal poverty level. 1 (4) At or above two hundred twenty percent but below two 2 hundred fifty percent of the federal poverty level. 3 (5) At or above two hundred fifty percent of the federal 4 poverty level. 5 5. The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A 6 to administer this section. 7 -3- HF 2514 (3) 91 dg/ko/md 3/ 3