HB 206: "An Act establishing a day care matching benefit program."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 206 01 "An Act establishing a day care matching benefit program." 02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 * Section 1. AS 47.25 is amended by adding new sections to read: 04 Article 4A. Day Care Matching Benefit Program. 05 Sec. 47.25.650. Day care matching benefit program. (a) The day care 06 matching benefit program is established in the department to encourage employers to 07 help employees pay for day care expenses. 08 (b) An employee whose employer directly pays a portion of the employee's 09 day care expenses or provides a cash benefit to the employee to offset the employee's 10 day care expenses may apply for a day care matching benefit to offset the employee's 11 day care cost. 12 (c) The department shall 13 (1) implement and administer the program; 14 (2) adopt regulations necessary to implement and administer the 15 program;
01 (3) prescribe an application form to determine an employee's eligibility 02 to receive a day care matching benefit; 03 (4) periodically review an employee's eligibility for a day care 04 matching benefit; and 05 (5) distribute day care matching benefit payments directly to a day care 06 provider. 07 Sec. 47.25.660. Benefit eligibility and payment. (a) An employee is eligible 08 to receive a monthly day care matching benefit payment if 09 (1) the employee incurs day care expenses; 10 (2) the employee's employer directly pays a portion of the employee's 11 day care expenses or provides a cash benefit to the employee to offset the employee's 12 day care expenses; and 13 (3) the employee applies on a form prescribed by the department. 14 (b) The department shall provide an eligible employee's day care provider a 15 monthly day care matching benefit payment equal to the monthly day care payment 16 the employee receives from the employee's employer, not to exceed $400. 17 (c) If the amount appropriated by the state for day care matching benefit 18 payments is insufficient to fully fund the state matching benefit payments for eligible 19 employees for any month, the department shall distribute the matching benefit 20 payments to an eligible employee's day care provider on a pro rata basis. 21 Sec. 47.25.690. Definitions. In AS 47.25.650 - 47.25.690, 22 (1) "child" means a person younger than 14 years of age, or a minor 23 who has a developmental disability; 24 (2) "day care" means a child care facility licensed under AS 47.32 25 providing the care, supervision, and guidance of a child or children unaccompanied by 26 a parent or legal guardian on a regular basis for periods of less than 24 hours a day; 27 "day care" does not include instruction at a private school or religious school; 28 (3) "department" means the Department of Health; 29 (4) "developmental disability" means a disability under which a person 30 is incapable of self-care, as verified by a physician or licensed or certified 31 psychologist who has examined the person;
01 (5) "private school" has the meaning given in AS 14.45.200; 02 (6) "program" means the day care matching benefit program 03 established in AS 47.25.650; 04 (7) "religious school" has the meaning given in AS 14.45.200.