HB 37: "An Act relating to the approval and administration by the Department of Administration of child care services primarily for the benefit of state officers and employees; and providing for an effective date."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 37 01 "An Act relating to the approval and administration by the Department of 02 Administration of child care services primarily for the benefit of state officers and 03 employees; 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;
01 (3) help sponsoring state agencies conduct needs assessments for child 02 care services, design child care centers, and select child care program operators; and 03 (4) provide child care services under AS 39.90.200 - 39.90.290. 04 Sec. 39.90.210. Children served. (a) In providing child care services under 05 AS 39.90.200 - 39.90.290, the department shall give first priority to the children and 06 dependents of state officers and state employees. The department may also provide 07 child care services under AS 39.90.200 - 39.90.290 to the children and dependents of 08 persons who are not state officers or state employees. 09 (b) Subject to the priority established under (a) of this section, the department 10 shall emphasize providing child care services to, in order of priority, 11 (1) children who are under four years of age; and 12 (2) children who are four years of age or older and not subject to 13 compulsory school attendance. 14 Sec. 39.90.220. Location of programs; operating costs. (a) A child care 15 program under AS 39.90.200 - 39.90.290 may be located in a state-owned office 16 building and, with the consent of the president of the senate and the speaker of the 17 house of representatives, in a building or space used for legislative activities. In 18 addition, a program may be located in a privately owned building or facility that is 19 convenient to the place of employment of the officers and employees the program 20 serves. 21 (b) If a child care program under AS 39.90.200 - 39.90.290 occupies a state- 22 owned office building or a privately owned building leased by the state, the 23 sponsoring state agency may be responsible for the costs associated with that 24 occupancy, including maintenance and utility costs, in accordance with regulations of 25 the department. 26 (c) When the state builds or purchases an office building for occupancy by 27 250 or more persons who are state officers or employees, the department shall cause 28 space in the building or facility to be reserved for a child care center under 29 AS 39.90.200 - 39.90.290. 30 Sec. 39.90.230. Costs of care. The cost of child care services provided under 31 AS 39.90.200 - 39.90.290 must be offset by fees charged to the state officers, state
01 employees, and other persons whose children or dependents receive the child care 02 services. The department may provide a sliding fee schedule, with fees charged on the 03 basis of household income. 04 Sec. 39.90.240. Selection of providers. The department shall 05 (1) select child care program operators to deliver child care services 06 under AS 39.90.200 - 39.90.290 using the procedures in AS 36.30 (State Procurement 07 Code); and 08 (2) enter into, with each child care program operator selected under 09 this section, a contract to be administered by the sponsoring state agency. 10 Sec. 39.90.250. Requirements for service providers. An operator selected to 11 provide services under AS 39.90.200 - 39.90.290 shall comply with all state and local 12 standards for the licensure and operation of child care facilities, maintain adequate 13 liability insurance coverage, and assume financial and legal responsibility for the 14 operation of the program. 15 Sec. 39.90.260. Consortiums. In the areas where the state has an insufficient 16 number of officers and employees to justify a work site child care center, the 17 department or a sponsoring state agency may join in a consortium arrangement with 18 one or more other public employers to provide child care services. 19 Sec. 39.90.270. Regulations. The department may adopt regulations necessary 20 to achieve the purposes of AS 39.90.200 - 39.90.290. 21 Sec. 39.90.290. Definitions. In AS 39.90.200 - 39.90.290, 22 (1) "department" means the Department of Administration; 23 (2) "sponsoring state agency" means a state agency that requests the 24 assistance of the department in providing child care services to the children and 25 dependents of the agency's officers and employees. 26 * Sec. 2. This Act takes effect July 1, 2013.