1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to children; clarifying eligibility criteria 
  1.3             for students under basic sliding fee child care 
  1.4             assistance; prohibiting counties from paying parents 
  1.5             directly for child care expenses; appropriating money 
  1.6             for the basic sliding fee program; amending Minnesota 
  1.7             Statutes 1998, sections 119B.10, subdivision 1; and 
  1.8             119B.13, subdivision 6; repealing Laws 1997, chapter 
  1.9             248, section 46, as amended. 
  1.10  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.11     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 119B.10, 
  1.12  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.13     Subdivision 1.  [ASSISTANCE FOR PERSONS SEEKING AND 
  1.14  RETAINING EMPLOYMENT.] (a) Persons who are seeking employment 
  1.15  and who are eligible for assistance under this section are 
  1.16  eligible to receive up to 240 hours of child care assistance per 
  1.17  calendar year.  
  1.18     (b) Employed persons who work at least an average of 20 
  1.19  hours and full-time students who work at least an average of ten 
  1.20  hours a week and receive at least a minimum wage for all hours 
  1.21  worked are eligible for continued child care assistance for 
  1.22  employment.  For purposes of this section, work-study programs 
  1.23  must be counted as employment.  Child care assistance during 
  1.24  employment must be authorized as provided in paragraphs (c) and 
  1.25  (d). 
  1.26     (c) When the caregiver works for an hourly wage and the 
  1.27  hourly wage is equal to or greater than the applicable minimum 
  2.1   wage, child care assistance shall be provided for the actual 
  2.2   hours of employment, break, and mealtime during the employment 
  2.3   and travel time up to two hours per day. 
  2.4      (d) When the caregiver does not work for an hourly wage, 
  2.5   child care assistance must be provided for the lesser of: 
  2.6      (1) the amount of child care determined by dividing gross 
  2.7   earned income by the applicable minimum wage, up to one hour 
  2.8   every eight hours for meals and break time, plus up to two hours 
  2.9   per day for travel time; or 
  2.10     (2) the amount of child care equal to the actual amount of 
  2.11  child care used during employment, including break and mealtime 
  2.12  during employment, and travel time up to two hours per day. 
  2.13     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 119B.13, 
  2.14  subdivision 6, is amended to read: 
  2.15     Subd. 6.  [PROVIDER PAYMENTS.] Counties shall make vendor 
  2.16  payments to the child care provider or pay the parent directly 
  2.17  for eligible child care expenses.  If payments for child care 
  2.18  assistance are made to providers, The provider shall bill the 
  2.19  county for services provided within ten days of the end of the 
  2.20  month of service.  If bills are submitted in accordance with the 
  2.21  provisions of this subdivision, a county shall issue payment to 
  2.22  the provider of child care under the child care fund within 30 
  2.23  days of receiving an invoice from the provider.  Counties may 
  2.24  establish policies that make payments on a more frequent basis.  
  2.25  A county's payment policies must be included in the county's 
  2.26  child care plan under section 119B.08, subdivision 3. 
  2.27     Sec. 3.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.28     $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  2.29  commissioner of children, families, and learning for the fiscal 
  2.30  biennium ending June 30, 2001, for basic sliding fee child care 
  2.31  assistance under Minnesota Statutes, section 119B.03. 
  2.32     Sec. 4.  [REPEALER.] 
  2.33     Laws 1997, chapter 248, section 46, as amended by Laws 
  2.34  1997, First Special Session chapter 5, section 10, as amended by 
  2.35  Laws 1998, chapter 407, article 6, section 112, is repealed.