1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to children; providing for licensing 
  1.3             assistance, outreach, and training; changing licensing 
  1.4             requirements for employers; appropriating money; 
  1.5             amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, sections 119B.18, by 
  1.6             adding subdivisions; 245A.14, subdivision 4; proposing 
  1.7             coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 119B.
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 119B.18, is 
  1.10  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.11     Subd. 4.  [BUSINESS PRACTICES ASSISTANCE.] The regional 
  1.12  resource and referral programs shall provide technical 
  1.13  assistance to start-up child care providers on sound business 
  1.14  practices.  The assistance may include business planning and 
  1.15  effective business management practices for family child care 
  1.16  providers, business-based providers, providers who offer care 
  1.17  during nontraditional hours, and other start-up child care 
  1.18  facilities.  
  1.19     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 119B.18, is 
  1.20  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.21     Subd. 5.  [PRELICENSING ASSISTANCE.] The regional resource 
  1.22  and referral programs shall act as a liaison and provide 
  1.23  technical assistance to start-up and expanding child care 
  1.24  providers.  Assistance to achieve licensure for child care 
  1.25  facilities may include identifying the necessary code and 
  1.26  licensing requirements and coordinating prelicensing conferences 
  2.1   or prelicensing assessments with state and local officials. 
  2.2      Sec. 3.  [119B.26] [CHILD CARE ENHANCEMENT; AVAILABILITY; 
  2.3   OUTREACH.] 
  2.4      Subdivision 1.  [COORDINATED OUTREACH EFFORTS.] The 
  2.5   commissioner shall coordinate efforts to enhance the supply, 
  2.6   quality, and diversity of child care in Minnesota communities 
  2.7   and to provide information necessary for families to make 
  2.8   informed child care choices.  The goals of these efforts are to: 
  2.9      (1) increase the supply of child care; 
  2.10     (2) increase the capacity of communities to provide child 
  2.11  care for families transitioning from welfare to work; 
  2.12     (3) assist communities in providing culturally appropriate 
  2.13  child care services; 
  2.14     (4) assist families in making informed decisions about 
  2.15  child care; and 
  2.16     (5) increase the public understanding and awareness of 
  2.17  child care.  
  2.18     Subd. 2.  [MULTICULTURAL OUTREACH.] The commissioner shall 
  2.19  contract for or provide child care licensing information and 
  2.20  child care application and selection information in all of the 
  2.21  predominant non-English languages in Minnesota.  The 
  2.22  commissioner shall coordinate or contract for services to 
  2.23  provide technical assistance to license and market child care 
  2.24  facilities and services in Minnesota's communities of color, 
  2.25  provide developmental training, and provide business support and 
  2.26  assistance through the start-up period for licensed facilities. 
  2.27     Sec. 4.  [119B.27] [EMPLOYER LIAISON.] 
  2.28     The commissioner shall provide a liaison to employers to 
  2.29  encourage and assist them in meeting their employees' child care 
  2.30  needs.  The liaison shall provide information on licensing child 
  2.31  care facilities and technical assistance in licensure.  The 
  2.32  liaison shall also provide employers with information and 
  2.33  technical assistance on providing or accessing child care 
  2.34  assistance programs, including the basic sliding fee child care 
  2.35  assistance, dependent care pretax accounts, Minnesota's 
  2.36  dependent care tax credit, and resource and referral services.  
  3.1   The commissioner shall work in conjunction with the 
  3.2   commissioners of revenue and human services to develop 
  3.3   information and materials for the business community on child 
  3.4   care licensing and assistance. 
  3.5      Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 245A.14, 
  3.6   subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  3.7      Subd. 4.  [SPECIAL FAMILY DAY CARE HOMES.] (a) 
  3.8   Nonresidential child care programs serving 14 or fewer children 
  3.9   that are conducted at a location other than the license holder's 
  3.10  own residence shall be licensed under this section and the rules 
  3.11  governing family day care or group family day care if:  
  3.12     ~~(a)~~ (1) the license holder is the primary provider of care~~;~~ 
  3.13  ~~(b)~~ and the nonresidential child care program is conducted in a 
  3.14  dwelling that is located on a residential lot; ~~and~~ 
  3.15     ~~(c) the license holder complies with all other requirements~~ 
  3.16  ~~of sections 245A.01 to 245A.15 and the rules governing family~~ 
  3.17  ~~day care or group family day care.~~ or 
  3.18     (2) the license holder is an employer who may or may not be 
  3.19  the primary provider of care, and the purpose for the child care 
  3.20  program is to provide child care services to children of the 
  3.21  license holder's employees.  
  3.22     (b) Notwithstanding section 245A.16, subdivision 1, the 
  3.23  commissioner shall not delegate the authority to licensing 
  3.24  facilities under this section to county agencies or other 
  3.25  private agencies. 
  3.26     Sec. 6.  [APPROPRIATIONS.] 
  3.27     Subdivision 1.  [DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND 
  3.28  LEARNING.] The sums indicated in this section are appropriated 
  3.29  from the general fund to the department of children, families, 
  3.30  and learning for the fiscal years designated. 
  3.31     Subd. 2.  [LOAN FORGIVENESS.] To provide funds to forgive 
  3.32  all or part of child development education and training loans 
  3.33  under Minnesota Statutes, section 119B.18, subdivision 3: 
  3.34       $.,...,...     .....     1999 
  3.35     Subd. 3.  [CHILD CARE BUSINESS MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE.] For 
  3.36  the regional resource and referral programs to provide business 
  4.1   management assistance to start-up child care facilities and 
  4.2   family child care providers under Minnesota Statutes, section 
  4.3   119B.18, subdivision 4: 
  4.4        $.,...,...     .....     1999 
  4.5      Subd. 4.  [CHILD CARE IMPROVEMENT AND EXPANSION.] For the 
  4.6   purposes of child care services grants under MInnesota Statutes, 
  4.7   section 119B.20: 
  4.8        $.,...,...     .....     1999 
  4.9      This amount is for the following grants: 
  4.10     (1) $....... for training grants to provide research-based 
  4.11  child development training for family child care providers; 
  4.12     (2) $....... for grants to assist child care centers with 
  4.13  center accreditation and incentives for staff retention, to 
  4.14  increase parental involvement, and to enhance child development 
  4.15  programs; 
  4.16     (3) $....... for training for new providers with emphasis 
  4.17  on licensing, child development, and providing care for children 
  4.18  with special needs; and 
  4.19     (4) $....... to increase the supply of providers who offer 
  4.20  care during nontraditional hours. 
  4.21     Subd. 5.  [CHILD CARE ENHANCEMENT.] For coordinated efforts 
  4.22  to enhance child care under Minnesota Statutes, section 119B.26: 
  4.23       $.,...,...     .....     1998 
  4.24       $.,...,...     .....     1999 
  4.25     Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is 
  4.26  available in the second year. 
  4.27     Subd. 6.  [SCHOOL AGE COOPERATION GRANTS.] For grants to 
  4.28  promote cooperation and coordination in school age child care 
  4.29  programs between school districts, community education, park 
  4.30  boards, after school programs, and other entities and programs 
  4.31  serving school age children: 
  4.32       $.,...,...     .....     1999 
  4.33     The commissioner shall establish guidelines for eligibility 
  4.34  and application processes for grants under this subdivision. 
  4.35     Subd. 7.  [EMPLOYER LIAISON.] To establish an employer 
  4.36  liaison position in the department of children, families, and 
  5.1   learning under Minnesota Statutes, section 119B.27: 
  5.2        $.,...,...     .....     1999