1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to human services; temporarily suspending a provision governing 
1.3 	eligibility of child care centers for child care assistance; establishing a child care 
1.4 	professional development pilot project; requiring a report; appropriating money;
1.5 	amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 119B.09, subdivision 9a.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 119B.09, subdivision 9a, is amended to 
1.8 	read:
1.9 		Subd. 9a.Child care centers; assistance. (a) For the purposes of this subdivision, 
1.10 	"qualifying child" means a child who satisfies both of the following:
1.11 	(1) is not a child or dependent of an employee of the child care provider; and
1.12 	(2) does not reside with an employee of the child care provider.
1.13 	(b) Funds distributed under this chapter must not be paid for child care services 
1.14 	that are provided for a child by a child care provider who employs either the parent of 
1.15 	the child or a person who resides with the child, unless at all times at least 50 percent of 
1.16 	the children for whom the child care provider is providing care are qualifying children 
1.17 	under paragraph (a).
1.18 	(c) If a child care provider satisfies the requirements for payment under paragraph 
1.19 	(b), but the percentage of qualifying children under paragraph (a) for whom the provider 
1.20 	is providing care falls below 50 percent, the provider shall have four weeks to raise the 
1.21 	percentage of qualifying children for whom the provider is providing care to at least 50 
1.22 	percent before payments to the provider are discontinued for child care services provided 
1.23 	for a child who is not a qualifying child.
1.24 	(d) This subdivision is suspended effective the day following final enactment and is 
1.25 	reinstated effective July 1, 2016.

2.1 	Sec. 2. CHILD CARE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PILOT PROJECT; 
2.2 	APPROPRIATION.
 2.3 	(a) $....... is appropriated in fiscal year 2015 to the commissioner of human services 
2.4 	to enable the commissioner to award a contract to the Child Care Resource and Referral 
2.5 	Network to establish a pilot project to increase the availability of high quality, culturally 
2.6 	competent child care in Minnesota. The project must include at least four child care 
2.7 	centers, two in the seven-county metropolitan area and two in greater Minnesota that serve 
2.8 	new Americans. For purposes of this section, "culturally competent" means knowledge 
2.9 	as to the home language, culture, and care of the child or children. This appropriation is 
2.10 	available until expended.
2.11 	(b) The pilot project shall be designed to provide in-service training, coursework, 
2.12 	and salary increases for child care workers employed in facilities licensed by the 
2.13 	commissioner of human services under Minnesota Rules, chapter 9503. The program shall 
2.14 	be designed to support child care workers through training and coaching approved through 
2.15 	the Minnesota Center for Professional Development. The project shall also include 
2.16 	hands-on experience to meet licensure requirements under Minnesota Rules, chapter 
2.17 	9503, and increase the education and competency levels of the child care workforce. 
2.18 	Activities shall be carried out in coordination with other existing supports for professional 
2.19 	development pathways for child care workers. The project shall be designed to train child 
2.20 	care workers to qualify as teacher aides, assistant teachers, and teachers in a career-lattice 
2.21 	model of sequenced professional development.
2.22 	(c) The commissioner shall evaluate the pilot project and shall present a report 
2.23 	to the legislature by February 15, 2017. The report shall contain recommendations on 
2.24 	the feasibility of establishing a statewide apprenticeship program for training child care 
2.25 	workers.

2.26 	Sec. 3. DIRECTION TO COMMISSIONER.
 2.27 	(a) The commissioner of human services shall contract with an agency skilled in 
2.28 	cross-cultural competencies to analyze and evaluate the following:
2.29 	(1) the economic impact of enforcing Minnesota Statutes, section 119B.09, 
2.30 	subdivision 9a;
2.31 	(2) the cultural assets of the existing new Americans child care center models;
2.32 	(3) the educational achievement record of children participating in the existing new 
2.33 	Americans child care center models; and 
2.34 	(4) the jobs and job advancement opportunities created for parents active in the 
2.35 	existing new Americans child care center models.
3.1 	(b) The commissioner shall report the findings of the evaluation and report to the 
3.2 	chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction 
3.3 	over early childhood education and health and human services policy and finance by 
3.4 	January 15, 2016.