SB 129: "An Act relating to the approval and administration of child care services by the Department of Administration primarily for the benefit of state officers and employees; and providing for an effective date."
00 SENATE BILL NO. 129 01 "An Act relating to the approval and administration of child care services by the 02 Department of Administration primarily for the benefit of state officers and employees; 03 and providing for an effective date." 04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 * Section 1. AS 39.90 is amended by adding new sections to read: 06 Article 3. Child Care Services. 07 Sec. 39.90.200. Duties of department. Under AS 39.90.200 - 39.90.290, the 08 Department of Administration shall approve, administer, and coordinate child care 09 services for state officers' and employees' children and dependents and for other 10 children as provided in AS 39.90.210. The department shall 11 (1) review and approve requests from state agencies for child care 12 services; 13 (2) provide technical assistance with child care program startup and 14 operation under AS 39.90.200 - 39.90.290; and
01 (3) assist other agencies in conducting needs assessments for child care 02 services, designing child care centers, and selecting child care service providers. 03 Sec. 39.90.210. Children served. (a) In providing child care services under 04 AS 39.90.200 - 39.90.290, the department shall give first priority to the children and 05 dependents of state officers and state employees. The department may also provide 06 services under AS 39.90.200 - 39.90.290 to the children and dependents of persons 07 who are not state officers or state employees. 08 (b) Subject to the priority established under (a) of this section, the department 09 shall emphasize providing child care services to, in order of priority, 10 (1) children who are under four years of age; and 11 (2) children who are four years of age or older and not subject to 12 compulsory school attendance. 13 Sec. 39.90.220. Location of programs; operating costs. (a) Child care 14 programs under AS 39.90.200 - 39.90.290 may be located in state-owned office 15 buildings and, with the consent of the president of the senate and the speaker of the 16 house of representatives, in buildings or spaces used for legislative activities. In 17 addition, a program may be located in a privately owned building or facility that is 18 convenient to the place of employment of the officers and employees the program 19 serves. 20 (b) If a child care program under AS 39.90.200 - 39.90.290 occupies a state- 21 owned office building or a privately owned building leased by the state, the 22 sponsoring state agency may be responsible for the costs associated with that 23 occupancy, including maintenance and utility costs, in accordance with regulations of 24 the department. 25 (c) When the state builds or purchases an office building for occupancy by 26 250 or more persons who are state officers or employees, the department shall cause 27 space in the building or facility to be reserved for a child care center under 28 AS 39.90.200 - 39.90.290. 29 Sec. 39.90.230. Costs of care. The cost of child care services provided under 30 AS 39.90.200 - 39.90.290 shall be offset by fees charged to the state officers, state 31 employees, and other persons whose children or dependents receive the child care
01 services. The department may provide for a sliding fee schedule, with fees charged on 02 the basis of household income. 03 Sec. 39.90.240. Selection of providers. The provider of proposed child care 04 services under AS 39.90.200 - 39.90.290 shall be selected by the department, using the 05 procedures in AS 36.30 (State Procurement Code). Management of the contract with 06 the service provider shall be the responsibility of the sponsoring state agency. 07 Sec. 39.90.250. Requirements for service providers. An operator selected to 08 provide services under AS 39.90.200 - 39.90.290 shall comply with all state and local 09 standards for the licensure and operation of child care facilities, maintain adequate 10 liability insurance coverage, and assume financial and legal responsibility for the 11 operation of the program. 12 Sec. 39.90.260. Consortiums. In the areas where the state has an insufficient 13 number of officers and employees to justify a work site child care center, a state 14 agency may join in a consortium arrangement with other public employers to provide 15 child care services. 16 Sec. 39.90.270. Regulations. The department may adopt regulations necessary 17 to achieve the purposes of AS 39.90.200 - 39.90.290. 18 Sec. 39.90.290. Definitions. In AS 39.90.200 - 39.90.290, 19 (1) "department" means the Department of Administration; 20 (2) "sponsoring state agency" means a state agency that requests the 21 assistance of the department in providing child care services to the children and 22 dependents of the agency's officers and employees. 23 * Sec. 2. This Act takes effect July 1, 2011.