Rep. Natalie A. Manley
Filed: 4/5/2022
| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1571
| ||||||
2 | AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 1571 by replacing | ||||||
3 | everything after the enacting clause with the following:
| ||||||
4 | "Section 1. This Act may be referred to as the First | ||||||
5 | Responders Child Care Act. | ||||||
6 | Section 5. The Department of Human Services Act is amended | ||||||
7 | by adding Section 1-75 as follows: | ||||||
8 | (20 ILCS 1305/1-75 new) | ||||||
9 | Sec. 1-75. Off-Hours Child Care Program. | ||||||
10 | (a) Legislative intent. The General Assembly finds that: | ||||||
11 | (1) Finding child care can be a challenge for | ||||||
12 | firefighters, paramedics, police officers, nurses, and | ||||||
13 | other third shift workers across the State who often work | ||||||
14 | non-typical work hours. This can impact home life, school, | ||||||
15 | bedtime routines, job safety, and the mental health of |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | some of our most critical front line workers and their | ||||||
2 | families. | ||||||
3 | (2) There is a need for increased options for | ||||||
4 | off-hours child care in the State. A majority of the | ||||||
5 | State's child care facilities do not provide care outside | ||||||
6 | of normal work hours, with just 3,251 day care homes and | ||||||
7 | 435 group home care programs that provide night care. | ||||||
8 | (3) Illinois has a vested interest in ensuring that | ||||||
9 | our first responders and working families can provide | ||||||
10 | their children with appropriate care during off hours to | ||||||
11 | improve the morale of existing first responders and to | ||||||
12 | improve recruitment into the future. | ||||||
13 | (b) As used in this Section, "first responders" means | ||||||
14 | emergency medical services personnel as defined in the | ||||||
15 | Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems Act, firefighters, | ||||||
16 | law enforcement officers, and, as determined by the | ||||||
17 | Department, any other workers who, on account of their work | ||||||
18 | schedule, need child care outside of the hours when licensed | ||||||
19 | child care
facilities typically operate. | ||||||
20 | (c) Subject to appropriation, the Department of Human | ||||||
21 | Services shall establish and administer an Off-Hours Child | ||||||
22 | Care Program to help first responders and other workers | ||||||
23 | identify and access off-hours, night, or sleep time child | ||||||
24 | care. Services funded under the program must address the child | ||||||
25 | care needs of first responders. Funding provided under the | ||||||
26 | program may also be used to cover any capital and operating |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | expenses related to the provision of off-hours, night, or | ||||||
2 | sleep time child care for first responders. Funding awarded | ||||||
3 | under this Section shall be funded through appropriations from | ||||||
4 | the Off-Hours Child Care Program Fund created under subsection | ||||||
5 | (d). The Department shall implement the program by July 1, | ||||||
6 | 2023. The Department may adopt any
rules necessary to | ||||||
7 | implement the program. | ||||||
8 | (d) The Off-Hours Child Care Program Fund is created as a | ||||||
9 | special fund in the State treasury. The Fund shall consist of | ||||||
10 | any moneys appropriated to the Department of Human Services | ||||||
11 | for the Off-Hours Child Care Program. Moneys in the Fund shall | ||||||
12 | be expended for the Off-Hours Child Care Program and for no | ||||||
13 | other purpose. All interest earned on moneys in the Fund shall | ||||||
14 | be deposited into the Fund. | ||||||
15 | Section 10. The State Finance Act is amended by adding | ||||||
16 | Section 5.970 as follows: | ||||||
17 | (30 ILCS 105/5.970 new) | ||||||
18 | Sec. 5.970. The Off-Hours Child Care Program Fund.
| ||||||
19 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
20 | becoming law.".
|