1213-S2 AMH DENT BROD 090

2SHB 1213 - H AMD 430

By Representative Dent

NOT ADOPTED 03/09/2021

On page 26, after line 14, insert the following:

"NEW SECTION. Sec. 313. (1) The department of children, youth, and families shall convene a task force with child care providers and their representatives, facilitated by a neutral third party, to develop recommendations for providing regulatory relief and making the licensing process more affordable for child care providers. At a minimum, the task force must evaluate:

(a) Reviewing the child care licensing fee structure;

(b) Suspending, delaying, or waiving certain licensing requirements for at least one year;

(c) Reevaluating staff-to-child required ratios and the minimum indoor space requirements for licensing; and

(d) Removing, revising, or waiving licensing requirements related to the early achievers program.

(2) The task force must report recommendations agreed upon by the majority of task force members to the governor and the appropriate fiscal and policy committees of the legislature by December 1, 2021 and in accordance with RCW 43.01.036. The report must include the policy rationale, implementation plan, timeline, and recommended statutory changes required to implement the recommendations. The report must also include a minority report for recommendations provided by members that were not agreed upon.

(3) Task force participants must represent geographically diverse areas of the state and there must be a process to allow providers not able to participate to send feedback to the facilitator for consideration. Task force membership must include at least one representative from each of the following:

(a) The department of children, youth, and families;

(b) Licensed family home providers;

(c) Family, friend, and neighbor caregivers;

(d) Child care centers;

(e) The statewide child care resource and referral network; and

(e) A statewide association for representing the interests of child care centers.

(4) Members of the task force shall be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with chapter 43.03 RCW. Child care providers serving as members of the task force must be reimbursed for the cost of hiring a substitute for times the provider is away from the child care business for official task for travel and meetings.

(5) Staff support for the task force must be provided by the department of children, youth, and families.

(6) This section expires January 1, 2022."

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