AN ACT Relating to child care center licensing standards regarding educational requirements; amending RCW 43.215.201 and 43.216.255; providing an effective date; and providing an expiration date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1.  RCW 43.215.201 and 2015 3rd sp.s. c 7 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) ((No later than November 1, 2016,)) The department shall implement, subject to subsections (2) and (3) of this section, a single set of licensing standards for child care and the early childhood education and assistance program. The department shall produce the single set of licensing standards within the department's available appropriations. The new licensing standards must:

(a) Provide minimum health and safety standards for child care and preschool programs;

(b) Rely on the standards established in the early achievers program to address quality issues in participating early childhood programs;

(c) Take into account the separate needs of family care providers and child care centers; and

(d) Promote the continued safety of child care settings.

(2) Pursuant to RCW 34.05.310(2)(a), the department shall engage in negotiated rule making with entities representing or operating child care centers and entities representing family home child care providers before adopting or defining equivalencies to educational requirements that affect the following child care center employees:

(4) Private schools that operate early learning programs and do not receive state subsidy payments shall be subject only to the minimum health and safety standards in subsection (1)(a) of this section and the requirements necessary to assure a sufficient early childhood education to meet usual requirements needed for transition into elementary school. The state, and any agency thereof, shall not restrict or dictate any specific educational or other programs for early learning programs operated by private schools except for programs that receive state subsidy payments.

Sec. 2.  RCW 43.216.255 and 2015 3rd sp.s. c 7 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) ((No later than November 1, 2016,)) The department shall implement, subject to subsection (2) of this section, a single set of licensing standards for child care and the early childhood education and assistance program. The department shall produce the single set of licensing standards within the department's available appropriations. The new licensing standards must:

(a) Provide minimum health and safety standards for child care and preschool programs;

(b) Rely on the standards established in the early achievers program to address quality issues in participating early childhood programs;

(c) Take into account the separate needs of family care providers and child care centers; and

(d) Promote the continued safety of child care settings.

(2) Pursuant to RCW 34.05.310(2)(a), the department shall engage in negotiated rule making with entities representing or operating child care centers and entities representing family home child care providers before adopting or defining equivalencies to educational requirements that affect the following child care center employees:

(4) Private schools that operate early learning programs and do not receive state subsidy payments shall be subject only to the minimum health and safety standards in subsection (1)(a) of this section and the requirements necessary to assure a sufficient early childhood education to meet usual requirements needed for transition into elementary school. The state, and any agency thereof, shall not restrict or dictate any specific educational or other programs for early learning programs operated by private schools except for programs that receive state subsidy payments.

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