Bill Text: VA HB2206 | 2021 | 1st Special Session | Comm Sub

Virginia House Bill 2206 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Child Care Subsidy Program; expanding Program to serve more families.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 40-0)

Status: (Passed) 2021-03-18 - Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0171) [HB2206 Detail]

Download: Virginia-2021-HB2206-Comm_Sub.html

21103864D
HOUSE BILL NO. 2206 AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE (Proposed by the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions on January 28, 2021) (Patron Prior to Substitute--Delegate Filler-Corn) A BILL to temporarily expand the Child Care Subsidy Program to provide financial assistance for child care to families in need during the public health emergency; emergency.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. §1. That, because the COVID-19 pandemic has created the need to temporarily expand the Child Care Subsidy Program (the Program) authorized pursuant to 22VAC40-665 to serve more families, including those families of individuals searching for employment during the period of economic recovery, such program shall be amended to provide that:

1. A family shall be eligible for assistance through the Program if (i) the family's income does not exceed 85 percent of the state median income, (ii) the family includes at least one child who is five years of age or younger and has not yet started kindergarten, and (iii) the family meets all other income and eligibility requirements of the Program. A family described in this subdivision shall be eligible for assistance for each child in the family who is under the age of 13; and

2. Job search activities shall be considered eligible activities for the purposes of the Program in order to maximize access to child care assistance of income-eligible families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

§2. That a family determined to be eligible for assistance through the Child Care Subsidy Program pursuant to §1 of this act shall be eligible to receive assistance for a period of 12 months or until the family's household income exceeds 85 percent of the state median income, whichever occurs sooner.

§3. That the changes to the program described in §1 of this act shall be administered by the Department of Social Services in partnership with the Department of Education.

2. That an emergency exists and this act is in force from its passage.

3. That the Department of Social Services shall update its child target rate for the Child Care Subsidy Program based on the expanded eligibility criteria established pursuant to the first enactment of this act and shall not exceed its revised child target rate for fiscal year 2022.

4. That the provisions of the first enactment of this act shall be applicable for assistance through the Child Care Subsidy Program for applications received prior to August 1, 2021.