LICENSING INFO; ALLOW INTERNET ACCESS H.B. 5047:
SUMMARY OF HOUSE-PASSED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
House Bill 5047 (as passed by the House)
Sponsor: Representative Julie Calley
House Committee: Families, Children, and Seniors
Senate Committee: Economic and Small Business Development
CONTENT
The bill would amend the child care licensing Act to do the following:
-- Allow a child care center, a group child care home, or a family child care home to provide access to its licensing notebook through LARA's electronic database of licensing records if internet access were available on the premises.
-- Require licensing records to include the original licensing study in addition to other licensing and investigatory information already required by the Act and allow this information to be made available via internet access.
The Act requires the operator of a child care center, group child care home, or family child care home to maintain a licensing notebook on its premises that must be made available during hours of operation for review by parents or guardians of children under the care of, and parents and guardians considering placing their children in the care of, the child care center, group child care home, or family child care home. The bill would require the operator of a child care center, group child care home, or family child care home to maintain licensing records on its premises in the form of a licensing notebook and make the records available as described above.
In addition, the bill would allow the child care center, the group child care home, or the family child care home to provide access to its licensing notebook as described above through LARA's electronic database of licensing records if internet access were available on the premises.
(The Act defines "child care center" as a facility, other than a private residence, receiving one or more children under 13 years of age for care for periods of less than 24 hours a day, where the parents or guardians are not immediately available to the child. "Family child care home" means a private home in which one but fewer than seven minor children are received for care and supervision for compensation for periods of less than 24 hours a day, attended by a parent or legal guardian, except children related to the adult member of the household by blood, marriage, or adoption. "Group child care home" means a private home in which more than six but not more than 12 minor children are given care and supervision for periods of less than 24 hours a day unattended by a parent or legal guardian, except children related to an adult member of the household by blood, marriage, or adoption.)
The Act requires the licensing notebooks to include the reports from all licensing inspections, renewal inspections, special investigations, and corrective action plans. Instead, under the bill, the licensing records would have to include the original licensing study, the renewal
inspections, special investigations, and corrective action plan approval letters for the past three years. The bill also would allow this information to be made available via internet access.
The Act requires LARA to include on its "Child in Care Statement/Receipt" form or any successor form used instead of that form a check box allowing the parent or guardian to acknowledge that he or she is aware of the licensing information available in the licensing notebook and that the notebook is available for his or her review on the premises of the child care center, the group child care home, or family child care home. Instead, under the bill, LARA would have to include on its "Child in Care Statement/Receipt" form or any successor form a check box allowing the parent or guardian to acknowledge that he or she was aware of the licensing records information available in the licensing notebook or LARA's electronic database and that the licensing notebook of LARA's database were available for his or her review on the premises or on LARA's website.
MCL 722.113g Legislative Analyst: Tyler P. VanHuyse
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.
Fiscal Analyst: Elizabeth Raczkowski
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.