Oregon legislation · 2026 Legislative Measures
Oregon SB1535: Relating to child care; and prescribing an effective date.
Status: Chaptered, April 6, 2026
Digest: The Act allows ELC to change some standards for who can use a day care subsidy program. The Act tells DELC to create a work group to study and report to the Senate and the House on liability insurance issues for child care providers and on how to increase access and reduce costs for those providers. The Act sunsets the work group in 2029. The Act takes effect 91 days after session ends. (Flesch Readability Score: 67.7). [ Digest: The Act tells DELC to study child care and submit a report to the legislature. (Flesch Readability Score: 73.1). ] [ Requires the Department of Early Learning and Care to study child care. Directs the department to submit findings to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to child care no later than September 15, 2027. ] [ Sunsets on January 2, 2028. ] Allows the Early Learning Council to modify the priority given to families receiving temporary assistance for needy families for participation in the Employment Related Day Care subsidy program. Directs the Department of Early Learning and Care to convene a work group to study the cost and availability of liability insurance and other liability issues for child care providers. Identifies work group participants. Directs the work group to report to the Legislative Assembly on options to increase child care provider access to liability insurance, to reduce the financial burden of liability insurance on child care providers and to use other strategies to address liability issues for child care providers. Requires the work group to submit the report to the Legislative Assembly by November 1, 2027. Sunsets the work group on January 2, 2029. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.
What the bill says
From the enrolled text, March 4, 2026:
83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2026 Regular Session Senate Bill 1535 Sponsored by Senator ANDERSON; Senator SMITH DB (Presession filed.) CHAPTER ................................................. Relating to child care; creating new provisions; amending ORS 329A.500; and prescribing an effective date. SECTION 1. ORS 329A.500 is amended to read: 329A.500. (1) As used in this section, "family" means any individual who is responsible for the care, control and supervision of a child. (2) The Early Learning Council shall adopt rules for the operation of the Employment Related Day Care subsidy program and for other subsidy programs administered by the Department of Early Learning and Care. (3) The rules adopted under this section must support equitable access to a supply of diverse subsidized care facilities that meet the needs of families, as those needs are defined by the council by rule, (b) Linguistic diversity; (c) Racial and ethnic diversity; and (d) Diversity of subsidized care facility types. (4) The council shall adopt rules establishing that: (a) Each of the following subparagraphs constitutes an independent basis of eligibility for a child to participate in the Employment Related Day Care subsidy (B) The child's family's employment, search for employment or enrollment in an education or training program; (C) The child's or child's family's use of, or risk of needing to use, protective services, including, but not limited to, child …