Assembly Bill No. 1294
CHAPTER 497

An act to amend Section 8281 of, and to add and repeal Section 8282.6 of, the Education Code, and to amend Section 10348 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to childcare, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

[ Approved by Governor  October 05, 2021. Filed with Secretary of State  October 05, 2021. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 1294, Quirk. Childcare: individualized county childcare subsidy plans.
Existing law establishes the Child Care and Development Services Act and the Early Education act, administered by the State Department of Education and the State Department of Social Services, respectively. Existing law provides that the Child Care and Development Services Act has as one of its purposes the provision of a comprehensive, coordinated, and cost-effective system of childcare and development services that includes a full range of supervision, health, and support services through full- and part-time programs. Existing law provides that the Early Education Act has as one of its purposes the provision of an inclusive and cost-effective preschool program that provides high-quality learning experiences, coordinated services, and referrals for families to access health and social-emotional support services through full- and part-time programs. Existing law authorizes the Counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Marin, Monterey, San Benito, San Diego, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, and Sonoma, as individual pilot projects, to develop an individualized county childcare subsidy plan, as provided. Existing law concludes that pilot program for the County of Santa Clara on July 1, 2022, and concludes the pilot programs for the remaining counties on July 1, 2023.
This bill would authorize the County of Santa Clara to continue the individualized county childcare subsidy plan initially developed and approved under the pilot project described above until July 1, 2023.
This bill would also require the State Department of Education and the State Department of Social Services to review the existing individualized county childcare pilot programs and to provide a report containing specified recommendations to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature on or before June 30, 2022. The bill would repeal this requirement January 1, 2024.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Santa Clara.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Vote: 2/3   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 8281 of the Education Code is amended to read:

8281.
 This article shall remain in effect only until July 1, 2023, and as of that date is inoperative, unless a later enacted statute that is enacted before July 1, 2023, deletes or extends that date.

SEC. 2.

 Section 8282.6 is added to the Education Code, to read:

8282.6.
 (a) (1) The State Department of Social Services and the State Department of Education shall review the existing individualized county childcare pilot programs required pursuant to this article and Chapter 18 (commencing with Section 10340) of Part 1.8 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and provide a report to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature on or before June 30, 2022.
(2) The report shall include recommendations on what flexibilities currently available to individualized county childcare pilot programs should be adopted statewide, and what flexibilities available to individualized county childcare pilot programs are no longer justified given statewide policy changes.
(3) The departments shall consider administrative burden for both the departments and counties in the recommendations.
(b) The report required to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(c) Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, this section is repealed on January 1, 2024.

SEC. 3.

 Section 10348 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:

10348.
 This chapter shall remain in effect only until July 1, 2023, and as of that date is inoperative, unless a later enacted statute that is enacted before July 1, 2023, deletes or extends that date.

SEC. 4.

 The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the unique circumstances in the County of Santa Clara. Existing law does not reflect the fiscal reality of living in the County of Santa Clara, a high-cost county where the cost of living is well beyond the state median level, resulting in reduced access to quality childcare. In recognition of the unintended consequences of living in a high-cost county, which have been intensified by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this act is necessary to provide children and families in the County of Santa Clara proper and continued equitable access to childcare and support the counties’ economic recovery through individualized county childcare subsidy plans.

SEC. 5.

 This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the California Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
In order for the State Department of Social Services and the State Department of Education to have the maximum amount of time to provide the report required pursuant to Section 8282.6 of the Education Code, and in order for the County of Santa Clara to have the maximum amount of time to adjust to the extended operation of this program, it is necessary for this act to take effect immediately.