Child Care Service Enhancement and Quality Improvement Act of 1989

Child Care Service Enhancement and Quality Improvement Act of 1989 - Title I: Dependent Care Block Grant - Amends the State Dependent Care Development Grants Act to increase the amount of the authorization of appropriations for FY 1990 and to extend such authorization through FY 1991.

Title II: Study of Liability Issues Related to Providers of Child Care Services - Directs the Secretary of Labor to conduct a study of liability issues concerning child care providers, including the extent to which such issues are a barrier to provision of child care services by employers or others.

Directs the Secretary to report study results and recommendations within one year after enactment of this Act to specified congressional committees.

 
S 512 IS
101st CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 512
To amend the State Dependent Care Development Grants Act to enhance and
improve the quality of the child care services provided under such Act,
and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 3 (legislative day, JANUARY 3), 1989
Mrs. KASSEBAUM introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources
A BILL
To amend the State Dependent Care Development Grants Act to enhance and
improve the quality of the child care services provided under such Act,
and for other purposes.
  Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
  States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  This Act may be cited as the `Child Care Service Enhancement and Quality
  Improvement Act of 1989'.
TITLE I--DEPENDENT CARE BLOCK GRANT
SEC. 101. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
  Section 670A of the State Dependent Care Development Grants Act (42
  U.S.C. 9871) is amended by striking out `$20,000,000' and all that follows
  through `1990' and inserting in lieu thereof `$300,000,000 for each of
  the fiscal years 1990 and 1991'.
SEC. 102. USE OF ALLOTMENTS.
  Section 670D of the State Dependent Care Development Grants Act (42
  U.S.C. 9874) is amended to read as follows:
`SEC. 670D. USE OF ALLOTMENTS.
  `(a) IN GENERAL- Amounts paid to a State under section 670C may be used
  for the planning, development, establishment, expansion or improvement by
  the States, directly or through grants with public or private entities,
  of dependent care services programs. Such programs may include--
  `(1) State and local resource and referral systems to provide information
  concerning dependent care services offered by licensed providers, including
  information concerning the availability, types, costs, locations, and
  hours of such services;
  `(2) recruiting programs to encourage individuals to become child care
  providers;
  `(3) training programs for providers of child care services and their
  employees;
  `(4) technical assistance programs to assist individuals in understanding
  and meeting State licensing or accreditation standards;
  `(5) loan or grant programs to assist family-based child care providers
  in meeting State licensing or accreditation standards;
  `(6) loan or grant programs to assist in the establishment or operation of
  innovative child care service programs, including neighborhood centers,
  intergenerational programs, and programs serving special populations,
  and to disseminate information concerning the operation of such programs;
  `(7) activities to assure timely State inspections of licensed providers
  of child care services; and
  `(8) any other project or activity that is designed to improve the quality,
  availability, or accessibility of dependent care services.
  `(b) PROHIBITION- A State shall not use amounts paid to it under this
  subchapter to--
  `(1) make cash payments to intended recipients of dependent care services;
  `(2) pay for the costs of construction; or
  `(3) satisfy any requirement for the expenditure of non-Federal funds as
  a condition for receipt of Federal funds.
  `(c) FEDERAL SHARE-
  `(1) IN GENERAL- The Federal share of any project supported under this
  subchapter shall be not more than 75 percent.
  `(2) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS- Not more than 10 percent of the allotment of each
  State under this subchapter may be available for the cost of administration.
  `(d) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE- The Secretary may provide technical assistance
  to States in planning and operating activities to be carried out under
  this subchapter.'.
SEC. 103. APPLICATION.
  Section 670E of the State Dependent Care Development Grants Act (42
  U.S.C. 9875) is amended to read as follows:
`SEC. 670E APPLICATION.
  `(a) SUBMISSION-
  `(1) IN GENERAL- To receive an allotment under section 670B, each State
  shall submit an application to the Secretary in such form, containing such
  information, and by such date as the Secretary may require.
  `(2) ASSURANCES- Each application submitted under paragraph (1) shall contain
  assurances that the State will meet the requirements of subsection (b).
  `(b) CERTIFICATIONS- The annual application submitted by the chief executive
  officer of each State under subsection (a) shall--
  `(1) certify that the State agrees to use the funds allotted to it under
  section 670B in accordance with the requirements of this subchapter;
  `(2) certify that the State will adopt standards of accreditation or
  licensing for family-based and group child care providers in the areas
  of staff/child ratios, group sizes, provider qualifications, health and
  safety, parental involvement and access, and methods of inspection and
  certification based on such standards; and
  `(3) certify that the State agrees that Federal funds made available under
  section 670B for any period will be used to supplement and increase the level
  of State, local, and other non-Federal funds that would, in the absence
  of such Federal funds, be made available for programs and activities for
  which funds are provided under that section and will in no event supplant
  such State, local, and other non-Federal funds.
  `(c) MANNER OF COMPLIANCE- The Secretary shall not prescribe for a State the
  manner in which the State complies with the requirements of subsection (b).'.
SEC. 104. REPORTS.
  Section 670F of the State Dependent Care Development Grants Act (42
  U.S.C. 9876) is amended to read as follows:
`SEC. 670F. REPORT.
  `(a) ANNUAL REPORT BY STATES- Each State that receives funds under this
  subchapter shall submit an annual report to the Secretary that specifies
  the programs and activities for which such funds are made available.
  `(b) ANNUAL REPORT BY THE SECRETARY- The Secretary shall submit annually,
  to the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives
  and the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate, a report
  that describes the programs carried out by the States with funds received
  under this subchapter.'.
SEC. 105. DEFINITIONS.
  Section 670G of the State Dependent Care Development Grants Act (42
  U.S.C. 9877) is amended--
  (1) by striking out paragraphs (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), and (11), and
  (2) by redesignating paragraphs (9) and (10) as paragraphs (4) and (5),
  respectively.
SEC. 106. EFFECTIVE DATE.
  This title and the amendments made by this title shall become effective
  on the date of the enactment of this Act or on October 1, 1989, whichever
  occurs later.
TITLE II--STUDY OF LIABILITY ISSUES RELATED TO PROVIDERS OF CHILD CARE SERVICES
SEC. 201. STUDY OF LIABILITY ISSUES RELATED TO PROVIDERS OF CHILD CARE
SERVICES.
  (a) STUDY- The Secretary of Labor shall conduct a study of liability
  issues as such issues pertain to the provision of child care services,
  including identification of the extent to which liability-related issues
  constitute a barrier to the provision of child care services by an employer
  or other individual.
  (b) REPORT- Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this
  Act, the Secretary of Labor shall submit, to the Committee on Education
  and Labor of the House of Representatives, and to the Committee on Labor
  and Human Resources of the Senate, a report containing--
  (1) a summary of the results of the study conducted under subsection (a), and
  (2) the recommendations of the Secretary regarding actions to be taken
  with respect to the liability-related issues identified in the study.