Bill Text: NJ S2918 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Allows licensed child care centers to operate at 100 percent capacity under certain circumstances.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-09-17 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee [S2918 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-S2918-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator TROY SINGLETON
District 7 (Burlington)
SYNOPSIS
Allows licensed child care centers to operate at 100 percent capacity under certain circumstances.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the operating capacity of licensed child care centers.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Notwithstanding the provisions of Executive Order No. 149 of 2020 and any other executive order to the contrary, a child care center licensed pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1983, c.492 (C.30:5B-1 et seq.) shall be allowed to operate at 100 percent capacity during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency if the center adheres to all health and safety requirements outlined in Executive Order No. 149 of 2020.
b. As used in this act, "100 percent capacity" means the staff/child ratios and group sizes that applied to a child care center licensed pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1983, c.492 (C.30:5B-1 et seq.) in accordance with N.J.A.C. 3A:52-4.3 and N.J.A.C. 3A:52-4.4 prior to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the conclusion of the declared coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency.
STATEMENT
This bill allows a child care center licensed pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1983, c.492 (C.30:5B-1 et seq.) to operate at 100 percent capacity during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency if the center adheres to all health and safety requirements outlined in Executive Order No. 149 of 2020.
Under the provisions of the bill, "100 percent capacity" means the staff/child ratios and group sizes that applied to a child care center licensed pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1983, c.492 (C.30:5B-1 et seq.) in accordance with N.J.A.C. 3A:52-4.3 and N.J.A.C. 3A:52-4.4 prior to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Executive Order No. 149 of 2020 outlines the rules that licensed child care centers are required to implement in order to facilitate the safety and well-being of child care operators, child care center staff, and the children and families they serve during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Although the rules mandate that licensed child care centers are to operate at limited capacity, child care center operators are concerned that placing restrictions on the number of children who can be physically present in a center may be a barrier to providing child care services for parents returning to work as New Jersey moves towards reopening.
Allowing licensed child care centers to operate at 100 percent capacity if the centers adhere to the health and safety requirements established under Executive Order No. 149 would address the concerns of child care operators and enable the continued operation of child care centers during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
