AI-generated summary, not yet reviewed by Better Utah staff. Please consult the bill text.

Utah's ongoing child care shortage would be addressed through a new Employer-Based, State-Assisted Child Care Capacity Expansion Program that converts underused or obsolete state-owned buildings into licensed child care centers, with the state's building management agency (DFCM) leasing the retrofitted space to private employers or groups of employers who then contract with a licensed child care provider to run the center. The state would handle retrofitting, ongoing maintenance, and building operations, while employer "sponsors" would be required to reserve half the available child care slots for their own employees' children and open the rest to nearby community members, including state employees, National Guard members, service members, and residents or workers within a set distance of the facility; providers would need to meet quality ratings within a year, keep infant and toddler rooms available, accept subsidized families when space allows, and cap tuition at rates no higher than what they charge at similar centers elsewhere. The bill creates a new restricted state account to collect lease payments and other funds for the program, sets rules for how leases can be prioritized and terminated, limits the state's legal liability for what happens at these centers, and requires annual public reporting on the program's progress, including a future plan for a sliding-fee scale to help lower-income families afford spots. It also appropriates $3.74 million in one-time state funds for fiscal year 2027 to convert warehouse space in an existing State Tax Commission building into the program's first child care facility.