1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to family and early childhood education; 
  1.3             modifying child care assistance employment 
  1.4             eligibility; amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 
  1.5             119B.10, subdivision 1.  
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 119B.10, 
  1.8   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [ASSISTANCE FOR PERSONS SEEKING AND 
  1.10  RETAINING EMPLOYMENT.] (a) Persons who are seeking employment 
  1.11  and who are eligible for assistance under this section are 
  1.12  eligible to receive up to 240 hours of child care assistance per 
  1.13  calendar year.  
  1.14     (b) Employed persons who work at least an average of 20 
  1.15  hours and full-time students who work at least an average of ten 
  1.16  hours a week and receive at least a minimum wage for all hours 
  1.17  worked are eligible for continued child care assistance for 
  1.18  employment.  For purposes of this section, work-study programs 
  1.19  must be counted as employment.  Child care assistance during 
  1.20  employment must be authorized as provided in paragraphs (c) and 
  1.21  (d). 
  1.22     (c) When the person works for an hourly wage and the hourly 
  1.23  wage is equal to or greater than the applicable minimum wage, 
  1.24  child care assistance shall be provided for the actual hours of 
  1.25  employment, break, and mealtime during the employment and travel 
  2.1   time up to two hours per day. 
  2.2      (d) When the person does not work for an hourly wage, child 
  2.3   care assistance must be provided for the lesser of: 
  2.4      (1) the amount of child care determined by dividing gross 
  2.5   earned income by the applicable minimum wage, up to one hour 
  2.6   every eight hours for meals and break time, plus up to two hours 
  2.7   per day for travel time; or 
  2.8      (2) the amount of child care equal to the actual amount of 
  2.9   child care used during employment, including break and mealtime 
  2.10  during employment, and travel time up to two hours per day. 
  2.11     (e) Notwithstanding paragraph (b), a family with two wage 
  2.12  earners, in which one wage earner is a self-employed farmer who 
  2.13  does not meet the minimum wage requirement, may receive child 
  2.14  care assistance if the other wage earner meets all of the 
  2.15  eligibility requirements of this chapter. 
  2.16     <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective July 1, 2001.