BILL NUMBER: AB 529	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 27, 2003

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Mullin

                        FEBRUARY 18, 2003

   An act to amend  Section   Sections 1597.44,
1597.465, and  1597.70 of the Health and Safety Code, relating
to care facilities.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 529, as amended, 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.  
   Existing law provides for the licensure of family day care homes.
Existing law authorizes a small family day care home to provide day
care for more than 6 and up to 8 children if certain conditions are
met.  Existing law also authorizes a large family day care home to
provide day care for more than 12 children and up to and including 14
children if certain conditions are met. One of these conditions
applicable to both small and large family day care homes is that at
least 2 of the children be at least 6 years of age.
   This bill would allow the above referred condition to be met if
either 2 of the children are at least 6 years of age or at least 2 of
the children are enrolled in a kindergarten classroom. 
   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 1597.44 of the Health and Safety Code is
amended to read: 
   1597.44.  A small family day care home may provide care for more
than six and up to eight children, without an additional adult
attendant, if all of the following conditions are met:
   (a) At least two of the children are at least six years of age
 or enrolled in a kindergarten classroom .
   (b) No more than two infants are cared for during any time when
more than six children are cared for.
   (c) The licensee notifies each parent that the facility is caring
for two additional schoolage children and that there may be up to
seven or eight children in the home at one time.
   (d) The licensee obtains the written consent of the property owner
when the family day care home is operated on property that is leased
or rented.   
  SEC. 2.  Section 1597.465 of the Health and Safety Code is amended
to read: 
   1597.465.  A large family day care home may provide care for more
than 12 children and up to and including 14 children, if all of the
following conditions are met:
   (a) At least two of the children are at least six years of age
 or enrolled in a kindergarten classroom  .
   (b) No more than three infants are cared for during any time when
more than 12 children are being cared for.
   (c) The licensee notifies a parent that the facility is caring for
two additional schoolage children and that there may be up to 13 or
14 children in the home at one time.
   (d) The licensee obtains the written consent of the property owner
when the family day care home is operated on property that is leased
or rented.   
  SEC. 3.   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.