2026-27 California State Budget Information

Click here to watch or listen to budget hearings. 
Committee Information, Rules & Position Letter Deadlines can be found here

UPDATED TFC 2026 Budget Tracking document - Includes links to previous child care hearing recordings, agendas, and transcripts (see tab "Hearing Recording Links")

Upcoming Budget Hearings (updated 08/11/26)

  • Wednesday, August 12, 2026
    • Senate Budget Subcommittee 1 on Education @ 9:30 a.m. - State Capitol, Room 112; Calendar
      • AGENDA - Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program, California Community Colleges
    • Senate Budget Subcommittee 3 on Health and Human Services @ 9:30 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 1200; Calendar
      • AGENDA 
        • Issue 3: Open August Trailer Bill (Page 16)
          • Child care alternative rate methodology
        • Issue 8: Technical Cleanup and Open Issues - CDSS (Page 32)
          • Clarify various provisional budget bill language items.
          • Technical update to cost estimates associated with the 22,770 new child care spaces to account for department estimates of ongoing Cost of Care Plus rates.
          • Technical update to the number of child care spaces supported by the federal fund and Proposition 64 backfill included in SB 111. The total number of spaces is 2,893 in 2026-27 and 2,856 ongoing for voucher slots.  

2026 Budget Updates (updated 07/20/26)

  • What's Included in the final budget agreement for child care:
    • Continues the suspension of most child care COLAs for 2026–27 (4th consecutive year of COLA suspension), with a 2.009% COLA provided only for Resource & Referral programs and Local Child Care and Development Planning Councils.
    • Maintains monthly, per-child Cost of Care Plus payments and provides a 2.009% COLA to Cost of Care Plus payments for providers serving children in specified subsidized child care programs.
    • Implements family fee changes effective January 1, 2027, requiring contractors to reimburse providers without deducting family fees and to collect those fees separately.
    • Strengthens eligibility stability by clarifying that families enrolled in California State Preschool Program are not required to report income or other changes during their 24-month eligibility period.
    • Updates CalWORKs child care eligibility to align with participation in CalWORKs activities and clarifies that each CalWORKs recipient can only participate in one stage at a time.
    • Expands fraud prevention and program integrity provisions, including allowing contractors to terminate eligibility when substantiated fraud invalidates a family's certification.
    • Updates provider licensing requirements, temporary absences, substitute adults, medication administration, emergency plans, and training requirements.
    • Expands CDSS authority to identify funds that would go unspent and transfer identified child care funds between like program contractors (i.e. between alternative payment program contractors, or between direct-service contractors)
  • 06/26/2026 Budget agreement is reached between the Legislature and the Governor
  • 06/26/2026 Budget bills (updated)
    • SB 111: Budget Bill Jr.: Budget Act of 2026 (includes amendments to AB 109 on the Governor’s desk)
    • AB 112: Budget Bill Jr. : Budget Acts of 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025
    • SB 110: Budget Act of 2026 (lists other budget bills)
    • AB 126: Education omnibus trailer bill
    • SB 135: Higher education budget trailer bill
    • AB 150: Early care and education
    • AB 152: Human services
    • SB 163: Developmental services
    • SB 164: Health
    • SB 165: Skilled nursing facilities: reimbursement rates (urgency)
    • SB 166: Public resources trailer bill
    • SB 168: Public resources
    • SB 169: Transportation budget trailer bill
    • SB 170: Governor’s Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 2025: codification
    • SB 171: Labor
    • SB 172: State government
    • SB 174: Courts
    • SB 177: Medi-Cal: Fair Share from Big Corporations options bill
    • AB 179: Housing
    • SB 180: Taxation trailer bill
    • AB 181: Education governance policy bill

Other Updates & Resources

Archived Budget Information:

2025-26 Budget Archive
2024-25 Budget Archive
2023-24 Budget Archive
2022-23 Budget Archive
2021-22 Budget Archive
2020-21 Budget Archive
2019-20 Budget Archive
2018-19 Budget Archive
2017-18 Budget Archive
2016-17 Budget Archive