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PRINTER'S NO. 1791
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
1201
Session of
2020
INTRODUCED BY SCHWANK AND L. WILLIAMS, JUNE 22, 2020
REFERRED TO HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, JUNE 22, 2020
AN ACT
Amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), entitled "An
act to consolidate, editorially revise, and codify the public
welfare laws of the Commonwealth," in public assistance,
providing for child care payments during the pandemic of
2020.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known
as the Human Services Code, is amended by adding a section to
read:
Section 408.4. Child Care Payments During the Pandemic of
2020.--(a) This section applies only to the fiscal year 2019-
2020 as a result of the global pandemic declared by the World
Health Organization on March 11, 2020. The following shall
apply:
(1) A child care center or family child care home shall
continue to receive subsidized child care payments from the
department as the child care center or family child care home
would otherwise be entitled to receive for the fiscal year 2019-
2020 had the pandemic of 2020 not occurred. For the time period
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a child care center or family child care home is closed or has
lower subsidized child care attendance due to the pandemic of
2020, the child care center or family child care home shall
receive subsidized child care payments based upon its enrollment
as of March 13, 2020.
(2) A child care center or family child care home may
collect copayments from the parent or caretaker of a child
enrolled in subsidized child care during the pandemic of 2020
for days a child is in attendance. A child care center or family
child care home may not collect copayments from the parent or
caretaker of a child enrolled in subsidized child care during
the pandemic of 2020 if the child care center or family child
care home is closed or for days a child is not in attendance.
(3) The department shall issue payments to child care
centers and family child care homes for the cost of uncollected
subsidized child care copayments as the result of a closure or
lower subsidized child care attendance due to the pandemic of
2020. Payment shall be prioritized to child care centers and
family child care homes that have attained a STAR 2, 3 or 4
rating under the Keystone STARS Program first if funds are
limited.
(4) The department shall establish a grant program for child
care centers and family child care homes to support the costs of
children enrolled as of March 13, 2020, who were not enrolled in
subsidized child care when:
(i) there is a closure of the child care center or family
child care home due to the pandemic of 2020; or
(ii) the child is not in attendance due to the pandemic of
2020. For this clause, the following shall apply:
(A) Payment shall be equivalent to the payment which would
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be received by the child care center or family child care home
for a child enrolled in subsidized child care based on:
(I) The age level of the child.
(II) Whether the child attends a full day or half day.
(III) The quality rating level of the program.
(B) Grant payments shall be provided to child care centers
and family child care homes serving at least one child in
subsidized child care and that have attained a STAR 2, 3 or 4
rating under the Keystone STARS Program first and then programs
that have not received funds through the Paycheck Protection
Program established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and
Economic Security Act (Public Law 116-136, 134 Stat. 281).
(C) The child care center or family child care home shall
provide the signed agreement with a parent or caretaker to the
department to prove enrollment in order to receive payment.
(5) Every child care center shall have a minimum of two
staff persons and every family child care home shall have a
minimum of one staff person participate in a training on the
best practices for sanitization related to the pandemic of 2020
and sanitize the center or home prior to reopening. The
following shall apply:
(i) Training shall be:
(A) Offered at no cost.
(B) Credit-bearing.
(C) A pproved or offered by the department, in consultation
with the Department of Health.
(ii) Child care centers and family child care homes with
children enrolled in subsidized child care and child care
centers with children enrolled in the Pre-K Counts Program or
the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program as of March 13,
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2020, shall be issued a payment of forty dollars ($40) per
child, to assist with the costs of reopening, including
sanitization, meeting COVID-19 public health requirements and
standards, providing supplies and training.
(6) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the sum of
one hundred seventeen million dollars ($117,000,000) is
appropriated from money received by the Commonwealth under the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (Public Law
116-136, 134 Stat. 281) to the department for the purpose of
child care.
(b) As used in this section, the following words and phrases
shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless
the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Child care center." An entity providing child care under
section 901 and child care centers under section 1001.
"Family child care home." As defined under section 1001.
"Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program." The program
established under section 1502-D of the act of March 10, 1949
(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949.
"Keystone STARS Program." The child care quality rating and
improvement system administered by the department.
"Pre-K Counts Program." The program established under
section 1512-D of the Public School Code of 1949.
Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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