1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to human services; establishing Family Child Care Working Group; 
1.3 	providing appointments; requiring a report; appropriating money.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. FAMILY CHILD CARE WORKING GROUP.
 1.6 		Subdivision 1.Establishment; purpose. The Family Child Care Working Group is 
1.7 	established to increase the number of licensed family child care providers, identify family 
1.8 	child care licensing alternatives, and establish family child care regulatory reforms and 
1.9 	improve efficiencies.
1.10 		Subd. 2.Membership. (a) The Family Child Care Working Group consists of 14 
1.11 	members, appointed as follows:
1.12 	(1) two members representing family child care providers from greater Minnesota, 
1.13 	appointed by the commissioner of human services;
1.14 	(2) two members representing family care providers from the metropolitan area as defined 
1.15 	in section 473.121, subdivision 2, appointed by the commissioner of human services;
1.16 	(3) two members representing child care centers from greater Minnesota, appointed by 
1.17 	the commissioner of human services;
1.18 	(4) two members representing child care centers from the metropolitan area as defined 
1.19 	in section 473.121, subdivision 2, appointed by the commissioner of human services;
2.1 	(5) two members representing Department of Human Services-recognized family child 
2.2 	care associations from the metropolitan area as defined in section 473.121, subdivision 2, 
2.3 	appointed by the commissioner of human services;
2.4 	(6) two members representing Department of Human Services-recognized family child 
2.5 	care associations from greater Minnesota, appointed by the commissioner of human services;
2.6 	(7) one member appointed by the Greater Minnesota Partnership; and
2.7 	(8) one member appointed by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.
2.8 	(b) Appointments to the working group must be made no later than July 15, 2019, and 
2.9 	members of the working group may be compensated as provided by Minnesota Statutes, 
2.10 	section 15.059, subdivision 3.
2.11 		Subd. 3.Duties. The working group must:
2.12 	(1) make recommendations to improve family child care licensing processes;
2.13 	(2) identify licensing requirements that have led to the closure of new family child care 
2.14 	programs and recommend business development and technical assistance resources to 
2.15 	promote provider recruitment and retention;
2.16 	(3) identify family child care licensing alternatives;
2.17 	(4) identify and recommend family child care regulatory reforms to improve licensing 
2.18 	efficiencies; and
2.19 	(5) review Parent Aware participation and identify alternatives to the Parent Aware 
2.20 	program.
2.21 		Subd. 4.Officers; meetings. (a) The working group must elect a chair and vice-chair 
2.22 	from among its members and may elect other officers as necessary.
2.23 	(b) The working group must meet at least monthly. The commissioner of human services 
2.24 	must convene the first meeting no later than August 1, 2019.
2.25 	(c) The working group is subject to the Minnesota Open Meeting Law under Minnesota 
2.26 	Statutes, chapter 13D.
2.27 		Subd. 5.Staff. The Office of Inspector General from the Department of Human Services 
2.28 	must provide staff assistance to support the working group's work.
2.29 		Subd. 6.Report required. No later than February 17, 2020, the working group must 
2.30 	submit a written report describing its work and recommendations to the chairs and ranking 
2.31 	minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over child care. The report 
3.1 	must include recommendations on how to increase the number of licensed family child care 
3.2 	providers, establish family child care licensing alternatives, establish family child care 
3.3 	regulatory reforms and improve efficiencies, and establish Parent Aware program alternatives.
3.4 		Subd. 7.Expiration. The working group expires upon submission of the report in 
3.5 	subdivision 6 or February 17, 2020, whichever is later.

3.6 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

3.7 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
 3.8 	$44,000 in fiscal year 2020 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner 
3.9 	of human services to implement the duties of the Family Child Care Working Group under 
3.10 	section 1.