BILL NUMBER: AB 529	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Mullin

                        FEBRUARY 18, 2003

   An act to amend Section 1597.70 of the Health and Safety Code,
relating to care facilities.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 529, as introduced, Mullin.    Employer-sponsored child care
centers.
   Existing law, the California Child Day Care Facilities Act,
provides for the licensing and regulation of child day care
facilities by the State Department of Social Services.  Existing law
requires the department to allow for reasonable waivers of those
regulations that present difficulties to small businesses for
licensure, except as provided, to encourage and facilitate the
establishment of employer-sponsored child day care centers.
   This bill would find and declare that cities and counties should
work with businesses to identify and develop potential child day care
sites and create a task force to develop high amenity areas with
child day care facilities.
   Vote:  majority.  Appropriation:  no.  Fiscal committee:  no.
State-mandated local program:  no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Section 1597.70 of the Health and Safety Code is
amended to read:
   1597.70.  The Legislature finds and declares the following:
   (a) It is significant that the Santa Clara County
Intergovernmental Council has found that due to changes in the labor
force and an increase in the child population, 25 percent of the
nation's workers must make child care arrangements.
   (b) Californians will benefit from investment in child care.
According to the House Select Committee on Children, Youth, and
Families, one dollar invested in preschool education results in a
savings of four dollars and seventy-five cents ($4.75) in social
costs.
   (c) Allowing and encouraging businesses to open onsite or nearsite
employer-sponsored child care centers has had a number of positive
effects for Californians, including reduced job absenteeism, closer
parent-child relationships, and increased worker productivity.
   (d) In a 1990 study, the Department of General Services found that
working parents add five to six miles to their daily commute for
transporting their children to child care and school, and that the
effect of this commute is 1,352 extra miles driven each year and an
additional 56 pounds of auto emissions per person per year.  
   (e) Cities and counties should work with businesses to identify
and develop potential child day care sites and create a task force to
develop high amenity areas with child day care facilities.