AN ACT CONCERNING RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 17b-749 of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2016):

(b) The commissioner shall establish income standards for applicants and recipients at a level to include a family with gross income up to fifty per cent of the state-wide median income, except the commissioner (1) may increase the income level to up to [seventy-five] eighty-five per cent of the state-wide median income, (2) upon the request of the Commissioner of Children and Families, may waive the income standards for adoptive families so that children adopted on or after October 1, 1999, from the Department of Children and Families are eligible for the child care subsidy program, and (3) on and after March 1, 2003, shall reduce the income eligibility level to up to fifty-five per cent of the state-wide median income for applicants and recipients who qualify based on their loss of eligibility for temporary family assistance. The commissioner may adopt regulations in accordance with chapter 54 to establish income criteria and durational requirements for such waiver of income standards.

Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective from passage) The Commissioner of Early Childhood shall require each applicant for employment with the Office of Early Childhood in a position that requires access to records of the Federal Bureau of Investigation or regular visits to child care services facilities to (1) state whether such applicant has ever been convicted of a crime or whether criminal charges are pending against such applicant at the time of application for employment, and (2) submit to state and national criminal history records checks. The criminal history records checks required pursuant to this section shall be conducted in accordance with section 29-17a of the general statutes. For purposes of this section, "child care services facilities" means child care services, as defined in section 19a-77 of the general statutes, as amended by this act, and youth camps, resident camps and day camps, as defined in section 19a-420 of the general statutes, as amended by this act.

Sec. 3. Subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section 19a-80 of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2016):

(b) (1) Upon receipt of an application for a license, the commissioner shall issue such license if, upon inspection and investigation, said commissioner finds that the applicant, the facilities and the program meet the health, educational and social needs of children likely to attend the child care center or group child care home and comply with requirements established by regulations adopted under this section and sections 19a-77 to 19a-79a, inclusive, as amended by this act, and sections 19a-82 to 19a-87a, inclusive. The commissioner shall offer an expedited application review process for an application submitted by a municipal agency or department. A currently licensed person or entity, as described in subsection (a) of this section, seeking a change of operator, ownership or location shall file a new license application, except such person or entity may request the commissioner to waive the requirement that a new license application be filed if such person or entity submits such request at least sixty days prior to the change of operator, ownership or location. The commissioner shall [have discretion to] determine whether a change of operator, ownership or location request from [a currently licensed] such person or entity [, as described in subsection (a) of this section, shall require] requires the filing of a new license application. [from such person or entity.] Each license shall be for a term of four years, shall be nontransferable, and may be renewed upon receipt by the commissioner of a renewal application and accompanying licensure fee. The commissioner may suspend or revoke such license after notice and an opportunity for a hearing as provided in section 19a-84 for violation of the regulations adopted under this section and sections 19a-77 to 19a-79a, inclusive, as amended by this act, and sections 19a-82 to 19a-87a, inclusive. In the case of an application for renewal of a license that has expired, the commissioner may renew such expired license within thirty days of the date of such expiration upon receipt of a renewal application and accompanying licensure fee.

Sec. 4. Subsection (b) of section 19a-77 of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2016):

(b) For licensing requirement purposes, child care services shall not include such services which are:

(1) (A) Administered by a public school system, or (B) administered by a municipal agency or department;

(2) Administered by a private school which is in compliance with section 10-188 and is approved by the State Board of Education or is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the State Board of Education;

(3) Classes in music, dance, drama and art that are no longer than two hours in length; classes that teach a single skill that are no longer than two hours in length; library programs that are no longer than two hours in length; scouting; programs that offer exclusively sports activities; rehearsals; academic tutoring programs; or programs exclusively for children thirteen years of age or older;

(4) Informal arrangements among neighbors and formal or informal arrangements among relatives in their own homes, provided the relative is limited to any of the following degrees of kinship by blood or marriage to the child being cared for or to the child's parent: Child, grandchild, sibling, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle or child of one's aunt or uncle;

(5) Drop-in supplementary child care operations for educational or recreational purposes and the child receives such care infrequently where the parents are on the premises;

(6) Drop-in supplementary child care operations in retail establishments where the parents remain in the same store as the child for retail shopping, provided the drop-in supplementary child-care operation does not charge a fee and does not refer to itself as a child care center;

[(7) Drop-in programs administered by a nationally chartered boys' and girls' club;]

[(8)] (7) Religious educational activities administered by a religious institution exclusively for children whose parents or legal guardians are members of such religious institution;

[(9)] (8) Administered by Solar Youth, Inc., a New Haven-based nonprofit youth development and environmental education organization, provided Solar Youth, Inc. informs the parents and legal guardians of any children enrolled in its programs that such programs are not licensed by the Office of Early Childhood to provide child care services;

[(10)] (9) Programs administered by organizations under contract with the Department of Social Services pursuant to section 17b-851a that promote the reduction of teenage pregnancy through the provision of services to persons who are ten to nineteen years of age, inclusive; or

[(11)] (10) Administered by the Cardinal Shehan Center, a Bridgeport-based nonprofit organization that is exclusively for school-age children, provided the Cardinal Shehan Center informs the parents and legal guardians of any children enrolled in its programs that such programs are not licensed by the Office of Early Childhood to provide child care services.

Sec. 5. Subdivision (1) of section 19a-420 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2016):

(1) "Youth camp" means any regularly scheduled program or organized group activity advertised as a camp or operated only during school vacations or on weekends by a person, partnership, corporation, association, the state or a municipal agency for recreational or educational purposes and accommodating for profit or under philanthropic or charitable auspices five or more children, who are at least three years of age and under sixteen years of age, who are (A) not bona fide personal guests in the private home of an individual, and (B) living apart from their relatives, parents or legal guardian, for a period of three days or more per week or portions of three or more days per week, provided any such relative, parent or guardian who is an employee of such camp shall not be considered to be in the position of loco parentis to such employee's child for the purposes of this chapter, but does not include (i) classroom-based summer instructional programs operated by any person, provided no activities that may pose a health risk or hazard to participating children are conducted at such programs, (ii) public schools, or private schools in compliance with section 10-188 and approved by the State Board of Education or accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the State Board of Education, which operate a summer educational program, or (iii) licensed [day] child care centers; [, or (iv) drop-in programs for children who are at least six years of age administered by a nationally chartered boys' and girls' club;]

Sec. 6. Section 17b-749e of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2016):

The Office of Early Childhood shall, [establish and fund five regional accreditation projects, within available appropriations. The office shall select qualified applicants for each region through a request for proposal process. The office shall give priority to child day care facilities where at least twenty per cent of the children live with families earning less than seventy-five per cent of the state median income level] within available appropriations, support programs providing child care services to achieve accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The office shall set priorities for receipt of support under this section.

Sec. 7. Subsection (d) of section 10-500 of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(d) The Office of Early Childhood shall constitute a successor department, in accordance with the provisions of sections 4-38d, 4-38e and 4-39, to (1) the Department of Education with respect to sections 8-210, 10-16n, 10-16p to 10-16r, inclusive, as amended by this act, 10-16u, 10-16w, 10-16aa, 17b-749a, 17b-749c and 17b-749g to 17b-749i, inclusive; (2) the Department of Social Services (A) with respect to sections 17b-12, 17b-705a, 17b-730, 17b-733, [to 17b-736, inclusive,] 17b-738, 17b-749, as amended by this act, 17b-749d to 17b-749f, inclusive, 17b-749j, 17b-749k, 17b-750 to 17b-751a, inclusive, and 17b-751d, and (B) for the purpose of administering the child care development block grant pursuant to the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990; [and] (3) the Department of Public Health (A) with respect to sections 10a-194c, 12-634, 17a-28, 17a-101 and 19a-80f, (B) for the purpose of regulating child care services pursuant to sections 19a-77, as amended by this act, 19a-79, 19a-80, as amended by this act, 19a-82 and 19a-84 to 19a-87e, inclusive, (C) for the purpose of the conduct of regulation of youth camps, pursuant to sections 19a-420 to 19a-434, inclusive, as amended by this act, and (D) for the purpose of administering the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program authorized under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, P.L. 111-148; and (4) the Department of Developmental Services with respect to sections 17a-248, 17a-248b to 17a-248h, inclusive, 38a-490a and 38a-516a.

Sec. 8. Subsections (a) and (b) of section 17a-22gg of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(a) There is established a Home Visitation Program Consortium that shall advise the Office of Early Childhood, Department of Children and Families, Department of Developmental Services and the Department of Education regarding the implementation of the recommendations for the coordination of home visitation programs within the early childhood system provided to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations, human services, education and children pursuant to section 17a-22dd.

(b) The consortium shall consist of the following members:

(1) Four representing families who are receiving services or have received services within the last five years from one or more home visitation programs in the state;

(2) Not more than [eight] ten representing home visitation programs in the state, at least four of whom shall utilize different home visitation models;

(3) Two representing private advocacy organizations that provide services for children and families in the state;

(4) One representing the United Way of Connecticut 2-1-1 Infoline program;

(5) One representing the birth-to-three program established under section 17a-248b;

(6) The director of the Connecticut Head Start State Collaboration Office, or the director's designee;

(7) The Commissioner of Early Childhood, or the commissioner's designee;

(8) The Commissioner of Children and Families, or the commissioner's designee;

(9) The Commissioner of Developmental Services, or the commissioner's designee;

(10) The Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee;

(11) The Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services, or the commissioner's designee;

(12) The Commissioner of Public Health, or the commissioner's designee;

(13) The Child Advocate, or the Child Advocate's designee; [and]

(14) The executive director of the Commission on Children, or the executive director's designee; and

(15) The director of the Maternal, Infant Early Childhood Home Visiting program in the state, or the director's designee.

Sec. 9. Subsection (a) of section 10-16r of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(a) A town seeking to apply for a grant pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-16p or section 10-16u shall convene a local school readiness council or shall establish a regional school readiness council pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. Any other town may convene such a council. The chief elected official of the town or, in the case of a regional school district, the chief elected officials of the towns in the school district and the superintendent of schools for the school district shall jointly appoint and convene such council. Each school readiness council shall be composed of: (1) The chief elected official, or the official's designee; (2) the superintendent of schools, or a management level staff person as the superintendent's designee; (3) parents; (4) representatives from local programs such as Head Start, family resource centers, nonprofit and for-profit child care centers, group child care homes, prekindergarten and nursery schools, and family child care home providers; (5) a representative from a health care provider in the community; (6) the local homeless education liaison designated by the local or regional board of education for the school district, pursuant to Subtitle B of Title VII of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, 42 USC 11431 et seq., as amended from time to time; and [(6)] (7) other representatives from the community who provide services to children. The chief elected official shall designate the chairperson of the school readiness council.

Sec. 10. (NEW) (Effective from passage) The Commissioner of Early Childhood may enter into stipulations, agreements, memoranda of understanding, interim consent orders or consent orders relating to licensing matters under chapter 368a and 368r of the general statutes with (1) any person, group of persons, association, organization, corporation, institution or agency, public or private, (A) maintaining (i) a licensed child care center or group child care home, pursuant to section 19a-80 of the general statutes, as amended by this act, or (ii) a licensed family child care home, pursuant to section 19a-87b of the general statutes, or (B) applying for a license for (i) a child care center or group home, pursuant to said section 19a-80 of the general statutes, or (ii) a family child care home, pursuant to said section 19a-87b of the general statutes; (2) any person who (A) established, conducts or maintains a licensed youth camp, pursuant to section 19a-421 of the general statutes, or (B) is applying for a license for a youth camp, pursuant to said section 19a-421 of the general statutes; (3) any person acting or seeking to act as an assistant or substitute staff member in a family child care home, pursuant to subsection (b) of section 19a-87b of the general statutes; (4) any person or entity who is the subject of an investigation or disciplinary action pursuant to section 19a-80f, 19a-84, 19a-87a, 19a-87e, 19a-423 or 19a-429 of the general statutes while holding a license issued by the Office of Early Childhood; or (5) any party in a contested case in which the office is a party.

Sec. 11. Subsection (b) of section 51-164n of the 2016 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(b) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, any person who is alleged to have committed (1) a violation under the provisions of section 1-9, 1-10, 1-11, 4b-13, 7-13, 7-14, 7-35, 7-41, 7-83, 7-283, 7-325, 7-393, 8-12, 8-25, 8-27, 9-63, 9-322, 9-350, 10-193, 10-197, 10-198, 10-230, 10-251, 10-254, 12-52, 12-170aa, 12-292, 12-314b or 12-326g, subdivision (4) of section 12-408, subdivision (3), (5) or (6) of section 12-411, section 12-435c, 12-476a, 12-476b, 12-487, 13a-71, 13a-107, 13a-113, 13a-114, 13a-115, 13a-117b, 13a-123, 13a-124, 13a-139, 13a-140, 13a-143b, 13a-247 or 13a-253, subsection (f) of section 13b-42, section 13b-90, 13b-221, 13b-292, 13b-336, 13b-337, 13b-338, 13b-410a, 13b-410b or 13b-410c, subsection (a), (b) or (c) of section 13b-412, section 13b-414, subsection (d) of section 14-12, section 14-20a or 14-27a, subsection (e) of section 14-34a, subsection (d) of section 14-35, section 14-43, 14-49, 14-50a or 14-58, subsection (b) of section 14-66, section 14-66a, 14-66b or 14-67a, subsection (g) of section 14-80, subsection (f) of section 14-80h, section 14-97a, 14-100b, 14-103a, 14-106a, 14-106c, 14-146, 14-152, 14-153 or 14-163b, a first violation as specified in subsection (f) of section 14-164i, section 14-219 as specified in subsection (e) of said section, subdivision (1) of section 14-223a, section 14-240, 14-249, 14-250 or 14-253a, subsection (a) of section 14-261a, section 14-262, 14-264, 14-267a, 14-269, 14-270, 14-275a, 14-278 or 14-279, subsection (e) or (h) of section 14-283, section 14-291, 14-293b, 14-296aa, 14-319, 14-320, 14-321, 14-325a, 14-326, 14-330 or 14-332a, subdivision (1), (2) or (3) of section 14-386a, section 15-25 or 15-33, subdivision (1) of section 15-97, subsection (a) of section 15-115, section 16-44, 16-256e, 16a-15 or 16a-22, subsection (a) or (b) of section 16a-22h, section 17a-24, 17a-145, 17a-149, 17a-152, 17a-465, 17a-642, 17b-124, 17b-131, 17b-137, [or 17b-734, subsection (b) of section 17b-736,] section 19a-30, 19a-33, 19a-39 or 19a-87, subsection (b) of section 19a-87a, section 19a-91, 19a-105, 19a-107, 19a-113, 19a-215, 19a-219, 19a-222, 19a-224, 19a-286, 19a-287, 19a-297, 19a-301, 19a-309, 19a-335, 19a-336, 19a-338, 19a-339, 19a-340, 19a-425, 19a-502, 20-7a, 20-14, 20-158, 20-231, 20-249, 20-257, 20-265, 20-324e, 20-341l, 20-366, 20-597, 20-608, 20-610, 21-1, 21-30, 21-38, 21-39, 21-43, 21-47, 21-48, 21-63 or 21-76a, subdivision (1) of section 21a-19, section 21a-21, subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section 21a-25, section 21a-26 or 21a-30, subsection (a) of section 21a-37, section 21a-46, 21a-61, 21a-63 or 21a-77, subsection (b) of section 21a-79, section 21a-85 or 21a-154, subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 21a-159, subsection (a) of section 21a-279a, section 22-12b, 22-13, 22-14, 22-15, 22-16, 22-26g, 22-29, 22-34, 22-35, 22-36, 22-38, 22-39, 22-39a, 22-39b, 22-39c, 22-39d, 22-39e, 22-49, 22-54, subsection (d) of section 22-84, 22-89, 22-90, 22-98, 22-99, 22-100, 22-111o, 22-167, 22-279, 22-280a, 22-318a, 22-320h, 22-324a, 22-326 or 22-342, subsection (b), (e) or (f) of section 22-344, section 22-359, 22-366, 22-391, 22-413, 22-414, 22-415, 22a-66a or 22a-246, subsection (a) of section 22a-250, subsection (e) of section 22a-256h, section 22a-363 or 22a-381d, subsections (c) and (d) of section 22a-381e, section 22a-449, 22a-461, 23-37, 23-38, 23-46 or 23-61b, subsection (a) or subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of section 23-65, section 25-37 or 25-40, subsection (a) of section 25-43, section 25-43d, 25-135, 26-16, 26-18, 26-19, 26-21, 26-31, 26-31c, 26-40, 26-40a, 26-42, 26-49, 26-54, 26-55, 26-56, 26-58 or 26-59, subdivision (1) of subsection (d) of section 26-61, section 26-64, subdivision (1) of section 26-76, section 26-79, 26-87, 26-89, 26-91, 26-94, 26-97, 26-98, 26-104, 26-105, 26-107, 26-117, 26-128, 26-131, 26-132, 26-138 or 26-141, subdivision (2) of subsection (j) of section 26-142a, subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section 26-157b, subdivision (1) of section 26-186, section 26-207, 26-215, 26-217 or 26-224a, subdivision (1) of section 26-226, section 26-227, 26-230, 26-232, 26-244, 26-257a, 26-260, 26-276, 26-284, 26-285, 26-286, 26-288, 26-294, 28-13, 29-6a, 29-25, 29-109, 29-143o, 29-143z or 29-156a, subsection (b), (d), (e) or (g) of section 29-161q, section 29-161y or 29-161z, subdivision (1) of section 29-198, section 29-210, 29-243 or 29-277, subsection (c) of section 29-291c, section 29-316, 29-318, 29-381, 30-48a, 30-86a, 31-3, 31-10, 31-11, 31-12, 31-13, 31-14, 31-15, 31-16, 31-18, 31-23, 31-24, 31-25, 31-32, 31-36, 31-38, 31-40, 31-44, 31-47, 31-48, 31-51, 31-52, 31-52a or 31-54, subsection (a) or (c) of section 31-69, section 31-70, 31-74, 31-75, 31-76, 31-76a, 31-89b or 31-134, subsection (i) of section 31-273, section 31-288, subdivision (1) of section 35-20, section 36a-787, 42-230, 45a-283, 45a-450, 45a-634 or 45a-658, subdivision (13) or (14) of section 46a-54, section 46a-59, 46b-22, 46b-24, 46b-34, 47-34a, 47-47, 49-8a, 49-16, 53-133, 53-199, 53-212a, 53-249a, 53-252, 53-264, 53-280, 53-302a, 53-303e, 53-311a, 53-321, 53-322, 53-323, 53-331 or 53-344, subsection (c) of section 53-344b, or section 53-450, or (2) a violation under the provisions of chapter 268, or (3) a violation of any regulation adopted in accordance with the provisions of section 12-484, 12-487 or 13b-410, or (4) a violation of any ordinance, regulation or bylaw of any town, city or borough, except violations of building codes and the health code, for which the penalty exceeds ninety dollars but does not exceed two hundred fifty dollars, unless such town, city or borough has established a payment and hearing procedure for such violation pursuant to section 7-152c, shall follow the procedures set forth in this section.

Sec. 12. Sections 17b-734 to 17b-736, inclusive, of the general statutes are repealed. (Effective from passage)

Statement of Purpose:

To expand the eligibility requirements for the Care4Kids program; to require certain applicants to the Office of Early Childhood to submit to criminal background checks; to permit the Commissioner of Early Childhood to waive the requirement of submitting a new license application in certain instances; to remove the licensure exemption for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America; to require the office to provide support to child care service programs seeking accreditation; to expand the membership of the Home Visitation Program Consortium and local school readiness councils; to authorize the commissioner to enter into certain agreements in child care service licensing matters; to repeal the child care facilities grant program; and to make minor and technical changes to the early childhood statutes.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]