Legislation
Bills Supported by First 5 Association in 2026
Bill Number
Author
Description
Position
Child Health License Plates: Allows California Legacy License Plate applicants to add a “Have a Heart, Be a Star, Help Our Kids” shape for an additional fee, and increases fees for those specialty plates, with proceeds split between the California Environmental License Plate Fund and the Child Health and Safety Fund.
General Plan: Childcare Element Requires cities and counties, upon updating two or more general plan elements on or after January 1, 2028, to also review and update those elements to address local childcare needs and access.
Subsidized Childcare: Reimbursement Rate Reporting If new childcare reimbursement rates are not in effect by July 1, 2025, requires the Department of Social Services to annually report its rate transition timeline to the Chairperson of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, starting no later than January 31, 2027.
Medi-Cal lactation services: Requires the Department of Health Care Services to issue updated Medi-Cal guidance by July 1, 2027, clarifying coverage for a continuum of lactation services, including health education, basic support, and lactation consultation. The department must seek stakeholder input before finalizing the guidance, and implementation is contingent on federal approval and funding.
Medi-Cal eligibility redetermination: would reinstate four proven eligibility and renewal strategies to streamline Medi-Cal renewal processing and minimize wrongful terminations for low-income Californians.
Immigration enforcement: child daycare facilities would make it a felony for federal law enforcement—including members of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—to be stationed at or enter a polling place, voting center, or childcare facility in California.
Childcare workers: immigration rights: This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to ensure childcare workers have access to resources and education regarding protecting their immigration rights.
Childcare: Mental Health Consultation Services Streamlines the requirements for reimbursable early childhood mental health consultation services by replacing the current detailed relationship-based model components with a simpler standard centered on at least one annual classroom observation per school year.
Support, Co-Sponsor
Medi-Cal: vision services: performance measures requiring the development and implementation of meaningful vision care metrics and benchmarks within Medi-Cal. By establishing measurable standards for access and utilization, this bill will help the Department of Health Care Services and policymakers better monitor program performance and identify opportunities to improve care delivery.
Childcare: Electronic Signatures Authorizes electronic signatures under the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) to satisfy signature requirements under the Child Care and Development Services Act.