SB540: Bill Text

LRB-4458/3

GM/PK/TF/PG:kg/kf:ks

1995 - 1996 LEGISLATURE

1995 Senate BILL 540

February 9, 1996 - Introduced by Joint Legislative Council. Referred to Committee on Health, Human Services and Aging.

SB540,2,9 An Act to repeal 231.01 (3c) (c) and (d); to amend 39.385 (1) (intro.) and (2) (intro.) and (a), 66.521 (2) (k) 22., 121.545 (2), 231.03 (6) (e), 231.03 (6) (f), 231.03 (13), 231.03 (14) and 231.16 (3); and to create 20.235 (1) (cw), 20.435 (3) (cr), 36.25 (38), 39.385, 46.031 (4), 46.983, 120.13 (36), 121.54 (2) (am) and 121.58 (2) (b) of the statutes; relating to: the child care worker loan repayment assistance program; issuing bonds to finance certain child care centers; authorizing school boards to contract with day care centers; requesting the board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System to prepare certain written reports containing information about child care services in this state; early childhood councils; requiring the department of industry, labor and human relations to promulgate rules permitting children under the age of 24 months to be provided care on a floor other than the first floor or ground floor of a group day care center; requiring the department of health and social services to promulgate rules which establish requirements that county departments of human services or social services must follow in establishing and maintaining waiting lists for state-allocated day care funds; requiring the secretary of health and social services to submit to the legislature a proposal which will ensure that safe and affordable child care is available for all children of low-income parents upon replacement of the aid to families with dependent children program and a proposal for the consolidation of all child care programs administered by the department of health and social services under a uniform automated voucher system; requiring the department of health and social services to promulgate rules that establish the requirements for obtaining and procedure for granting exemptions to the outdoor play space requirements under the administrative rules relating to group day care centers and family day care homes; granting rule-making authority; and making appropriations.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill is explained in the Notes provided by the joint legislative council in the bill.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

Prefatory note: This bill was prepared for the joint legislative council's special committee on child care economics and contains the recommendations of that special committee. The special committee was directed by the joint legislative council to study the child care system in Wisconsin and to make recommendations to increase the supply of high-quality child care, reduce demand for state-supported child care and retain skilled child care providers.

This bill contains a variety of proposals related to child care. The key provisions of the bill are as follows:

1. Establishment of a local early childhood council grant program.

2. Establishment of a child care worker loan repayment assistance program.

3. Authorization for school boards to enter into certain agreements with day care centers for the provision of prekindergarten or kindergarten programs in those day care centers.

4. Provision of state transportation aid to school districts that transport children between school and a day care program in lieu of transporting them between school and home.

5. Authorization for the Wisconsin health and educational facilities authority (WHEFA) and municipalities to issue bonds on behalf of nonprofit child care centers.

6. A requirement for the department of health and social services (DHSS) to create exemptions to DHSS's current requirements regarding outdoor play space at day care centers and day care homes.

7. A requirement for the department of industry, labor and human relations (DILHR) to promulgate rules to permit children under the age of 24 months to be provided care in a group day care center on a floor other than the first floor or ground floor in certain day care centers.

8. A request for the University of Wisconsin (UW) System to prepare reports containing certain information about child care in Wisconsin.

9. A requirement for DHSS to submit to the Legislature a proposal which will ensure that safe and affordable child care is available for all children of low-income parents upon replacement of the aid to families with dependent children (AFDC) program and a proposal for the consolidation of all child care programs administered by DHSS under a uniform automated voucher system.

10. A requirement for DHSS to promulgate rules to require counties to collect certain information from parents on waiting lists for low-income child care funding.

See the Notes following the individual Sections of the bill for additional information.

SB540, s. 1 Section 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table - See PDF for table

SB540, s. 2 Section 2. 20.235 (1) (cw) of the statutes is created to read:

SB540,3,6 20.235 (1) (cw) Child care worker loan repayment assistance program. Biennially, the amounts in the schedule for the child care worker loan repayment assistance program under s. 39.385.

Note: New s. 20.235 (1) (cw), and the dollar amounts in the appropriation schedule, establish a program for child care worker loan repayment assistance to be funded with general purpose revenue (GPR) as a biennial appropriation. See the Note following Section 5 for a description of this program.

SB540, s. 3 Section 3. 20.435 (3) (cr) of the statutes is created to read:

SB540,4,4 20.435 (3) (cr) Local early childhood council grants. As a continuing appropriation, the amounts in the schedule for grants for local early childhood councils under s. 46.983.

Note: New s. 20.435 (3) (cr), and the dollar amounts in the appropriation schedule, establish a program of grants for local early childhood councils to be funded with GPR as a continuing appropriation. See the Note following Section 8 for a description of this program.

SB540, s. 4 Section 4. 36.25 (38) of the statutes is created to read:

SB540,4,9 36.25 (38) Child care study. (a) The board is requested to prepare one or more written reports detailing and analyzing the following information and to submit copies of the reports to the joint legislative council, to the governor, and to the appropriate standing committees under s. 13.172 (3):

SB540,4,18 1. The rates charged for child care services for children of different ages in different regions of the state by licensed and certified providers of child care; the total capacity of certified and licensed child care providers in different regions of the state; the total estimated number of children of various ages in different regions of the state who are cared for by persons other than their parents or guardians for a significant period each week; an analysis of the rates charged for child care services in relation to family incomes in different regions of the state; and a projection of the effects of demographic, economic and employment trends on the demand, cost and availability of child care services in this state for each year until 2005.

SB540,5,3 2. A compilation and analysis of information regarding the relationship between the availability of child care services and worker productivity and the economic well-being of the state.

SB540,5,7 3. A compilation and analysis of existing information regarding the relationship between the quality of child care services received by a child and the child's school readiness, involvement in juvenile delinquency and general social integration.

SB540,5,16 (b) The board is requested to gather information on the use of child care services by low-income parents and by parents receiving aid to families with dependent children under s. 49.19 for the purpose of establishing baseline data for the evaluation of the effect of changes in state policies regarding aid to families with dependent children on the use of, demand for, availability of and affordability of child care services for low-income persons in this state. The board is requested to prepare a written report detailing and analyzing this information and to submit a copy of the report to the joint legislative council, to the governor, and to the appropriate standing committees under s. 13.172 (3).

Note: Requests the board of regents of the UW System to prepare one or more written reports for the joint legislative council, the legislature and the governor containing all of the following items:

1. Information on the rates charged for licensed and certified child care services for children of different ages in different regions of the state; the capacity of certified and licensed child care providers in different regions of the state; the estimated number of children of various ages in different regions of the state receiving child care services; an analysis of the rates charged for child care services in relation to the various family incomes of different regions of the state; and a projection of the effects of demographic, economic and employment trends on the demand for and cost and availability of child care in Wisconsin for the next 10 years.

2. A compilation and analysis of information regarding the relationship between the availability of child care services and worker productivity and the economic well-being of the state.

3. A compilation and analysis of information regarding the relationship between the quality of child care services received by a child and the child's school readiness, involvement in juvenile delinquency and general social integration.

The bill also requests the board to gather baseline information on child care use by low-income parents and by parents currently receiving AFDC for the purpose of being able to evaluate the effect of expected changes in Wisconsin's AFDC policies on the use, demand for, availability and affordability of child care services for low-income persons in Wisconsin.

SB540, s. 5 Section 5 . 39.385 of the statutes is created to read:

SB540,6,4 39.385 Child care worker loan repayment assistance program. (1) There is established, to be administered by the board, a loan repayment assistance program for resident child care workers who meet all of the following requirements:

SB540,6,8 (a) Have graduated on or after May 1, 1996, with a bachelor's degree from an institution of higher education, as defined in s. 39.32 (1) (a), located in this state or a degree under an associate degree program, as defined in s. 38.01 (1), in an area relating to early childhood education.

SB540,6,10 (b) Are currently in loan repayment on any student loan, which loan repayment status is not in default, as determined by the applicable lender.

SB540,6,12 (c) Have been continuously employed on a full-time basis in this state for at least 12 months as a child care worker.

SB540,6,13 (2) The board shall:

SB540,6,21 (a) Reimburse a child care worker for 10% of the outstanding principal amount of any student loans of the child care worker or $1,000, whichever is less, for the 12-month period of eligibility under sub. (1). As a condition of eligibility for loan repayment assistance under this paragraph, the child care worker shall submit to the board, on a form prescribed by the board, a statement certified by the lender of an applicable student loan, within 30 days previous to the filing of the submission, that the loan repayment status of the borrower is not in default and the outstanding principal amount of the applicable student loan.

SB540,7,3 (b) For each succeeding 12-month period of eligibility under sub. (1), reimburse the child care worker as determined under par. (a). No child care worker is eligible for more than 5 loan repayment assistance payments under this section.