Bill Text: CT HB07006 | 2017 | General Assembly | Comm Sub
Bill Title: An Act Concerning Funding For The Care 4 Kids Child Care Subsidy Program.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-03-08 - Favorable Change of Reference, Senate to Committee on Appropriations [HB07006 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2017-HB07006-Comm_Sub.html
General Assembly |
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January Session, 2017 |
*_____HB07006HS_APP030317____* |
AN ACT CONCERNING FUNDING FOR THE CARE 4 KIDS CHILD CARE SUBSIDY PROGRAM.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) There is established an account to be known as the "Care 4 Kids Supplemental TANF account" which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account within the Department of Social Services. Not less than ten million dollars annually shall be credited to the account from block grant funds received by the state from the temporary assistance for needy families program pursuant to the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. Such funds shall be expended (1) in accordance with said act for child care development services, and (2) pursuant to a memorandum of understanding described in subsection (b) of this section between the Commissioner of Social Services and the Commissioner of Early Childhood.
(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Commissioner of Early Childhood to transfer funds from the account established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section as needed to the Office of Early Childhood to fund the child care subsidy program authorized pursuant to section 17b-749 of the general statutes, as amended by this act.
(c) The Commissioner of Social Services may reallocate funds allocated to Department of Social Services programs from the temporary assistance for needy families block grant to the nonlapsing account to ensure adequate funding for the child care subsidy program authorized pursuant to section 17b-749 of the general statutes, as amended by this act.
Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 17b-749 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(a) The Commissioner of Early Childhood shall establish and operate a child care subsidy program to increase the availability, affordability and quality of child care services for families with a parent or caretaker who (1) is working or attending high school, or (2) receives cash assistance under the temporary family assistance program from the Department of Social Services and is participating in an education, training or other job preparation activity approved pursuant to subsection (b) of section 17b-688i or subsection (b) of section 17b-689d. Services available under the child care subsidy program shall include the provision of child care subsidies for children under the age of thirteen or children under the age of nineteen with special needs. The Office of Early Childhood shall open and maintain enrollment for the child care subsidy program and shall administer such program within the existing budgetary resources available. The office shall issue a notice on the office's Internet web site any time the office closes the program to new applications, changes eligibility requirements, changes program benefits or makes any other change to the program's status or terms, except the office shall not be required to issue such notice when the office expands program eligibility. Any change in the office's acceptance of new applications, eligibility requirements, program benefits or any other change to the program's status or terms for which the office is required to give notice pursuant to this subsection, shall not be effective until thirty days after the office issues such notice. The office shall notify the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, children, education and human services whenever it forecasts a funding shortfall that may affect program eligibility requirements or benefits. The office shall provide such notice not less than sixty days prior to issuing a notice on its Internet web site of resulting changes to eligibility or benefits, or as soon as possible.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
from passage |
New section |
Sec. 2 |
from passage |
17b-749(a) |
HS |
Joint Favorable Subst. C/R |
APP |