1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to child care; establishing a Child Care Advisory Task Force; requiring 
1.3 	a report.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. CHILD CARE ADVISORY TASK FORCE.
 1.6 		Subdivision 1.Establishment. The commissioner of human services shall establish 
1.7 	a Child Care Advisory Task Force of stakeholders to review and make recommendations 
1.8 	to the legislature to remove barriers facing families applying for and receiving child care 
1.9 	assistance under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 119B.
1.10 		Subd. 2.Membership. The commissioner of human services shall appoint Child 
1.11 	Care Advisory Task Force members. The Child Care Advisory Task Force shall include, 
1.12 	but is not limited to, representatives from:
1.13 	(1) the Department of Human Services; 
1.14 	(2) counties and nonprofit organizations administering the child care assistance 
1.15 	programs;
1.16 	(3) the child care advocacy community; and
1.17 	(4) the antipoverty advocacy community.
1.18 		Subd. 3.Duties. The Child Care Advisory Task Force shall review child care 
1.19 	assistance laws, rules, and policies and make recommendations to remove barriers facing 
1.20 	families applying for child care assistance or completing reauthorization for child care 
1.21 	assistance to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over the child care assistance 
1.22 	programs under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 119B. Barriers to review include, but are 
1.23 	not limited to:
1.24 	(1) length of application forms;
2.1 	(2) consistency of application and reauthorization forms statewide;
2.2 	(3) documentation requirements, including frequency of producing documentation;
2.3 	(4) barriers facing parents with limited English; and
2.4 	(5) length of reauthorization periods.
2.5 		Subd. 4.Report. By January 15, 2009, the Department of Human Services shall 
2.6 	report to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over the child care assistance 
2.7 	programs with the Child Care Advisory Task Force recommendations to remove the 
2.8 	barriers facing families in applying for and receiving child care assistance.
2.9 		Subd. 5.Task force expenses. Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 15.059, 
2.10 	task force members must not be paid a per diem or reimbursed for any expenses associated 
2.11 	with their membership on the task force.
2.12 		Subd. 6.Expiration. The Child Care Advisory Task Force expires June 30, 2009.

2.13 	Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.
 2.14 	Section 1 is effective the day following final enactment.