Monday, March 19, 2007

UPDATE ON THE LICENSE FEE REDUCTION BILL/BACKGROUND CHECK ELIMINATION SF0536 HF0659

Information about the proposed legislation about licensing fees that we recently discussed...
  1. Many changes to transfer the responsibility of the background checks from the county to the state.
  2. The bills have passed both the senate and house committees for language. The house had opposition from County Administrators that the county was going to lose a source of revenue for their county. In doing some research, here are facts. 57 counties will probably have no change to the license fee as they are at $50 for a one year license or $100 for a two year license now or are lower or have no fee. Several counties will have loss of revenue from background check fees BUT if the responsibility becomes part of the state as of January 1, 2008, the county will not have that expense. The next two years will roll all licensed providers into the state system with this bill.
  3. The hearings for Tuesday, March 20th (Senate & House) and March 22nd (House) are to put money in this bill into the state budget to roll the background check responsibility and processing from the county to the state. Jerry Kerber at DHS estimates $20 per background check to do this, ½ providers being done each of the next two years (corresponding to the 2 year license), and 3.5 background checks average per provider. This comes to a budget of about $680,000 for each year. In 2010 this budget number would drop to just the cost of processing new providers, substitutes and children 13 and up added to the system…maybe $100,000-$200,000 per year.
  4. If one of the senators or representatives is your representative, would you please call or e-mail them to support funding for the bill.
Health and Human Services Budget Division Committee will hear Senator Robling’s bill to put a dollar amount to the bill for background checks to be conducted by the Department of Human Services (DHS) at the state level. This would mean we do not pay for background checks anymore.

If one of these committee people is your Senator, please call or e-mail them to let them know you want money put toward SF 0536 and to support the bill for reduced license fees for family child care providers. The bill will be heard in this finance committee AT 8:30 A.M. ON Tuesday, March 20th.

Please make your calls tonight.
Linda Berglin Chair 651-296-4261 Use Mail Form on Legislative Web Site
Ann Lynch 651-296-4848 sen.ann.lynch@senate.mn
Michelle Fischbach 651-296-2084 sen.michelle.fischbach@senate.mn
Paul Koering 651-296-4875 sen.paul.koering@senate.mn
Tony Lourey 651-296-0293 sen.tony.lourey@senate.mn
Mary Olson 651-296-4913 sen.mary.olson@senate.mn
Yvonne Prettner Solon 651-296-4188 Use Mail Form on Legislative Web Site
Julie Rosen 651-296-5713 sen.julie.rosen@senate.mn
Kathy Sheran 651-296-6153 sen.kathy.sheran@senate.mn

In the House the bill number is HF 0659. This bill will be heard in finance committee between 4 and 5:30 P.M. on Tuesday, March 20th.

Information provided to you by the Scott County Licensed Family Child Care Association, Beth Mork, and Deloris Friske

Other bills Beth and Deloris are watching.
HF 1577 SF 1724 DHS’s bill…many language changes to look at

HF 1810 SF 1552 Demonstration project in Austin for
On-Site Child Care license changes to allow
Up to 25 children in shift transition times

HF0916 SF 0771 On site face to face license visits for centers and Family Child Care yearly.

HF0305 SF0238 Statewide Smoking Ban …There are two bills. One states that family child care providers would have to notify clients of smoking in the home after child care hours.

HF2033 SF1863 Hennepin & Ramsey Counties licensed family child care providers connections increased and money appropriated

We are watching several bills on funding full-day kindergarten.
The MFIP programs have 60 day, absent days provisions funded. This should help providers.
HF0920 SF0754 Minnesota Family investment program and sliding fee child care programs….

HF0605 SF0154 MFIP and Child Care Provisions

HF1056 SF0839 Early childhood Education provisions modified and money appropriated


// posted by Tammy Wachter @ 5:57 PM
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