Bill Text: VA HB1216 | 2024 | Regular Session | Prefiled
Bill Title: Employee Child Care Assistance Pilot Program; established, report.
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 26-2)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2024-03-09 - Left in Finance and Appropriations [HB1216 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-HB1216-Prefiled.html
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Article 1 of Chapter 14.1 of Title 22.1 a section numbered 22.1-289.08:2 as follows:
§22.1-289.08:2. Employee Child Care Assistance Program and Fund.
A. As used in this section:
"Eligible mixed-delivery provider" means a child day center or family day home that has been selected or identified to deliver mixed-delivery services through a local agreement with the relevant regional entity established pursuant to subsection D of §22.1-289.05.
"Employer" means an employer with at least one employee who works in the Commonwealth in each of 20 or more calendar weeks in the current or preceding calendar year.
"Local median household income" means the most recent estimate available of real median household income for the locality, as determined by the United States Census Bureau.
"Small business" means an employer with fewer than 50 employees.
B. There is hereby created in the state treasury a special nonreverting fund to be known as the Employee Child Care Assistance Fund, referred to in this section as "the Fund." The Fund shall be established on the books of the Comptroller. All funds appropriated for such purpose and any gifts, donations, grants, bequests, and other funds received on its behalf shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to the Fund. Interest earned on moneys in the Fund shall remain in the Fund and be credited to it. Any moneys remaining in the Fund, including interest thereon, at the end of each fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain in the Fund. Moneys in the Fund shall be used solely for the purposes of the Employee Child Care Assistance Program established by subsection C. Expenditures and disbursements from the Fund shall be made by the State Treasurer on warrants issued by the Comptroller upon written request signed by the Superintendent.
C. The Employee Child Care Assistance Program (the Program) is established to provide matching funds to in order to incentivize employers to contribute to the child care costs of their employees.
D. To participate in the Program, an employer shall enter into an agreement with its employee and an eligible mixed-delivery provider to make child care contributions to the eligible mixed-delivery provider on behalf of the employee and shall submit the agreement to the Department along with any other information deemed necessary by the Board.
E. To the extent funds are available, the Department shall issue a state match directly to an eligible mixed-delivery provider, or to a third-party administrator, that has entered into an agreement with a participating employer. Such state match shall not exceed 100 percent of the employer contribution made by an employer on behalf of an employee whose annual gross wages are equal to or less than the local median household income and shall not exceed 80 percent of the employer contribution made by an employer on behalf of an employee whose annual gross wages are greater than the local median household income.
F. Funds shall be provided on a first-come, first-served basis; however, in each fiscal year, 25 percent of the moneys in the Fund shall be used to provide state matches for employees of small businesses.
G. The Department shall establish guidelines and procedures as it deems necessary for the administration of the Program.
H. The Department may combine the Program with or incorporate the Program into any other program or initiative related to the Mixed Delivery Program.
