1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to human services; creating a legislative task force on child care; 
1.3 	requiring a report to the legislature and the governor.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. LEGISLATIVE TASK FORCE ON ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE 
1.6 	CHILD CARE.
 1.7 		Subdivision 1.Creation. A legislative task force on child care is created to review 
1.8 	the loss of child care providers in the state, assess affordability issues for providers and 
1.9 	parents, and identify areas that need to be addressed by the legislature.
1.10 		Subd. 2.Membership; chair. (a) Task force members shall include:
1.11 	(1) four members from the house of representatives: two members appointed by 
1.12 	July 1, 2016, by the speaker of the house and two members appointed by the house 
1.13 	minority leader; and
1.14 	(2) four members from the senate: two members appointed by July 1, 2016, by the 
1.15 	senate majority leader and two members appointed by the senate minority leader.
1.16 	(b) The speaker and the majority leader shall each appoint a chair from the 
1.17 	membership of the task force. The chair shall rotate after each meeting. The person 
1.18 	appointed as chair by the senate majority leader shall convene the first meeting of the 
1.19 	task force by September 1, 2016.
1.20 		Subd. 3.Duties. (a) The task force may:
1.21 	(1) evaluate factors that contribute to child care costs for providers and families;
1.22 	(2) assess the child care provider shortage in greater Minnesota;
1.23 	(3) evaluate access to culturally appropriate child care;
2.1 	(4) review the current preservice and in-service training requirements for family 
2.2 	child care providers and child care center staff. This review shall include training required 
2.3 	for licensure, including staff credentialing for child care center staff positions and the ways 
2.4 	in which this training aligns with Minnesota's Career Lattice and Minnesota's Knowledge 
2.5 	and Competency Framework for Early Childhood and School-Aged Care Practitioners;
2.6 	(5) review the availability of training that is in place to meet the training needs of 
2.7 	providers, including the content of this training, cost, and delivery methods;
2.8 	(6) consider creation of a board of child care to be responsible for all matters related 
2.9 	to licensing of child care providers, both in-home and center-based programs, and to 
2.10 	employ an advocate for child care providers;
2.11 	(7) review the process of issuing and resolving correction orders issued to child 
2.12 	care providers;
2.13 	(8) consider uniform training requirements for county employees and their 
2.14 	supervisors who perform duties related to licensing;
2.15 	(9) review progress being made by the commissioner of human services to streamline 
2.16 	paperwork and reduce redundancies for child care providers; and
2.17 	(10) review the time it takes for the department to provide Child Care Assistance 
2.18 	Program reimbursement to providers.
2.19 	(b) Task force members may receive input from the commissioner of human 
2.20 	services, the commissioner of employment and economic development, providers, and 
2.21 	stakeholders to review all action items.
2.22 		Subd. 4.Recommendations and report. The task force, in cooperation with 
2.23 	the commissioner of human services, shall issue a report to the legislative committees 
2.24 	with jurisdiction over child care issues and the governor by January 15, 2017. The 
2.25 	report must contain summary information obtained during the task force meetings and 
2.26 	recommendations for additional legislative changes and procedures affecting access to 
2.27 	affordable child care.

2.28 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment 
2.29 	and sunsets on January 15, 2017.