- Rep. Jason Thompson is urging the Utah Legislature to prioritize affordable child care this session.
- His bill, HB190, proposes increased tax credits for businesses offering child care facilities.
- Voices for Utah Children supports HB190 as beneficial for small businesses.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah legislative session starts in less than a week, and one Republican lawmaker is pushing for more affordable child care to be front and center this year on the Legislature's agenda.
"This is an economic issue, this is a family issue, this is a community issue," said Rep. Jason Thompson, R-River Heights.
The freshman GOP lawmaker said when he talks to Utahns, he hears two main concerns.
"What you hear about is housing affordability and child care," Thompson said.
On child care, Thompson led an effort last year to give more money to larger businesses that build or expand child care facilities.
This year, he wants to go further while specifically focusing on small businesses. HB 190 would increase the state tax credit for businesses that either offer child care or build child care facilities, allowing them to claim more of their costs. That's on top of a federal tax credit.
Small businesses would get the biggest percentage back — 30% compared to 10% for larger businesses — under the bill.
In a statement, Voices for Utah Children, which advocates for more resources for child care, called the bill a "significant win for Utah's small businesses" by increasing the tax credit and "removing the costly requirement to build a (child care) facility first."
"While the credit is non-refundable and requires a five-year commitment, it offers a powerful new tool for employers with stable tax liabilities to invest in their workforce," said Moe Hickey, the organization's executive director. "By lowering these barriers, HB 190 helps small businesses support the child care their employees need to thrive."
Critics have accused the Legislature of not doing enough on child care. Recently, lawmakers have expanded the tax credit for families with young children while also allowing unlicensed providers to care for more kids.
Thompson coauthored a recent op-ed in the Deseret News calling attention to Utah's lack of child care resources for families and urging action. He hopes his proposal this year will help.
"Our families need us to step up. The time has come and gone for us to address this issue," he said. "I think addressing it this year is going to be huge for our state."
The bill will be considered during the legislative session that starts on Tuesday, Jan. 20, and runs for 45 days.
