CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.



                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                   Bill No. HB 175

    Amendment No. 1 (for drafter's use only)

                            CHAMBER ACTION
              Senate                               House
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  4  ______________________________________________________________

  5                                           ORIGINAL STAMP BELOW

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10  ______________________________________________________________

11  The Committee on Business Regulation offered the following:

12

13         Amendment (with title amendment) 

14  Remove everything after the enacting clause

15

16  and insert:

17         Section 1.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section

18  402.3055, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

19         402.3055  Child care personnel requirements.--

20         (1)  REQUIREMENTS FOR CHILD CARE PERSONNEL.--

21         (a)  The department or local licensing agency shall

22  require that the application for a child care license contain

23  a question that specifically asks the applicant, owner, or

24  operator if he or she has ever had a license denied, revoked,

25  or suspended in any state or jurisdiction or has been the

26  subject of a disciplinary action or been fined while employed

27  in a child care facility. The applicant, owner, or operator

28  shall sign an affidavit attesting attest to the accuracy of

29  the information requested under penalty of perjury.

30         1.  If the applicant, owner, or operator admits that he

31  or she has been a party in such action, the department or

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                   Bill No. HB 175

    Amendment No. 1 (for drafter's use only)





  1  local licensing agency shall review the nature of the

  2  suspension, revocation, disciplinary action, or fine before

  3  granting the applicant a license to operate a child care

  4  facility.

  5         2.  If the department or local licensing agency

  6  determines as the result of such review that it is not in the

  7  best interest of the state or local jurisdiction for the

  8  applicant to be licensed, a license shall not be granted.

  9         Section 2.  Paragraph (c) is added to subsection (1) of

10  section 402.310, Florida Statutes, to read:

11         402.310  Disciplinary actions; hearings upon denial,

12  suspension, or revocation of license; administrative fines.--

13         (1)

14         (c)  The department shall establish and impose uniform

15  penalties for violations of ss. 402.301-402.319 and the rules

16  adopted thereunder. The department shall implement this

17  paragraph beginning on the effective date of this act, and

18  such implementation shall not be contingent upon a specific

19  appropriation therefor.

20         Section 3.  Section 402.3105, Florida Statutes, is

21  created to read:

22         402.3105  Central database on violations, citations,

23  and penalties imposed against child care facilities.--

24         (1)  The Department of Children and Family Services

25  shall establish and maintain a central database to record and

26  compile all district information relating to violations,

27  citations, and penalties imposed against child care facilities

28  regulated by the department.

29         (2)  The database shall be operated in a manner that

30  enables the department to identify and locate such information

31  for purposes of monitoring and evaluating the uniformity and

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                   Bill No. HB 175

    Amendment No. 1 (for drafter's use only)





  1  effectiveness of district investigations and enforcement, in

  2  order to ensure compliance of child care facilities with state

  3  regulatory requirements. The database shall further maintain

  4  and produce aggregate statistical reports monitoring patterns

  5  of violations, citations, and penalties, including the classes

  6  and types of violations and any actions taken to suspend or

  7  revoke the license of a child care facility.

  8         (3)  The information in the database shall serve as a

  9  resource for the evaluation of child care facilities for

10  license renewal but may not be used for employment screening.

11  The information in the database shall be made available to the

12  public upon request, pursuant to chapter 119 relating to

13  public records.

14         (4)  The Department of Children and Family Services

15  shall implement this section beginning on the effective date

16  of this act, and such implementation shall not be contingent

17  upon a specific appropriation therefor.

18         Section 4.  Section 402.316, Florida Statutes, is

19  amended to read:

20         (Substantial rewording of section. See

21         s. 402.316, F.S., for present text.)

22         402.316  Religious-exempt child care programs.--

23         (1)  Religious-exempt child care programs are child

24  care or weekday preschool programs that are an integral part

25  of an established church, temple, or parochial school

26  conducting regularly scheduled classes, courses of study, or

27  educational programs and are members or participants of, or

28  are accredited by, a recognized accrediting agency for

29  religious exemption.  Such a facility or program may choose to

30  become exempt from child care licensing as established in ss.

31  402.301-402.319, if a member or participant of, or accredited

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                   Bill No. HB 175

    Amendment No. 1 (for drafter's use only)





  1  by, an approved accrediting agency for religious exemption, or

  2  may choose to become licensed by the applicable licensing

  3  authority.  If choosing religious exemption, the child care

  4  facility or program must display its certificate of compliance

  5  issued by an approved accrediting agency for religious

  6  exemption in a conspicuous location in the facility.  Failure

  7  to post the certificate of compliance in a conspicuous

  8  location will result in an administrative action as determined

  9  by the minimum standards of the accrediting agency for

10  religious exemption.

11         (2)(a)  Accrediting agencies for religious exemption

12  must publish and require compliance with this section and with

13  the accrediting agency's minimum standards for operation of

14  child care facilities or programs, which minimum standards

15  must meet or exceed the state's minimum standards as provided

16  in s. 402.305(1)-(11), (13), (15), and (16). In addition, the

17  minimum standards published by the accrediting agencies for

18  religious exemption must require child care facilities and

19  programs to meet the minimum requirements of the applicable

20  local governing body as to health, sanitation, and safety,

21  including, but not limited to, environmental health, fire

22  safety, zoning, and building codes. Accrediting agencies for

23  religious exemption shall include in their minimum standards a

24  requirement that religious-exempt child care facilities or

25  programs inform parents that the facility or program is exempt

26  from licensing and meets the minimum standards of its

27  accrediting agency, which minimum standards meet or exceed the

28  state's minimum standards.

29         (b)  An accrediting agency for religious exemption must

30  conduct an initial onsite review of each child care facility

31  or program operating under a certificate of compliance issued

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                   Bill No. HB 175

    Amendment No. 1 (for drafter's use only)





  1  by the accrediting agency. Each year following the year in

  2  which the initial onsite review was conducted, the facility or

  3  program must submit a notarized statement to the accrediting

  4  agency verifying compliance with the applicable Florida

  5  Statutes and the accrediting agency's published minimum

  6  standards.  With respect to the requirements of s.

  7  402.305(2)(d), unless otherwise exempt, child care personnel

  8  in religious-exempt child care facilities or programs shall

  9  begin the department's approved 40-clock-hour introductory

10  course in child care within 90 days after the effective date

11  of this section, or within 90 days after employment

12  thereafter, and shall complete the training within 1 year

13  after the date on which the training began. By July 1, 2007,

14  religious-exempt child care facilities and programs must meet

15  the staff credential requirement provided in s. 402.305(3).

16  The department and the accrediting agencies for religious

17  exemption shall work collaboratively to expedite the approval

18  of equivalency programs developed by the accrediting agencies

19  for staff credentialing.

20         (3)  Each accrediting agency for religious exemption

21  must submit to the department a copy of its published minimum

22  standards to be reviewed and recognized by the department as

23  meeting the state's minimum standards for child care

24  facilities as provided in s. 402.305(1)-(11), (13), (15), and

25  (16). The accrediting agency's minimum standards shall be

26  reviewed by the department within 30 days after submission.

27  Once such minimum standards are recognized, the department

28  shall establish and maintain a complete and accurate listing

29  of all approved accrediting agencies for religious exemption

30  and their minimum standards.

31         (4)  Nothing in this section shall authorize the state

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                   Bill No. HB 175

    Amendment No. 1 (for drafter's use only)





  1  to regulate or control the accrediting agencies for religious

  2  exemption or any religious-exempt child care facility's or

  3  program's governance, religious instruction, curriculum,

  4  discipline, or hiring practices, except for the screening

  5  requirements required pursuant to s. 435.04.

  6         (5)(a)  The department shall distribute to the

  7  accrediting agencies for religious exemption any revisions

  8  made to the state's minimum standards for child care

  9  facilities within 30 days after their adoption.  Within 30

10  days after receipt of such revised minimum standards from the

11  department, each accrediting agency for religious exemption

12  shall submit to the department a written statement documenting

13  that the accrediting agency has notified each religious-exempt

14  child care facility or program of the state's revised minimum

15  standards. The state's revised minimum standards shall be

16  incorporated into the accrediting agency's minimum standards

17  during the agency's next revision of such standards.

18         (b)  Each accrediting agency for religious exemption

19  shall maintain and submit to the department an annual report

20  which shall include an updated listing of child care

21  facilities and programs operating under a certificate of

22  compliance issued by the accrediting agency. Each accrediting

23  agency shall also provide written notice to the department

24  within 30 days after a child care facility or program newly

25  affiliates with the accrediting agency or terminates

26  affiliation. Facilities and programs exempt under this section

27  that transfer affiliation from one accrediting agency for

28  religious exemption to another must notify the accrediting

29  agency from which it is transferring at least 30 days in

30  advance of the transfer.

31         (6)  An accrediting agency for religious exemption

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                   Bill No. HB 175

    Amendment No. 1 (for drafter's use only)





  1  shall not own, operate, or administer a child care facility or

  2  program operating under a certificate of compliance issued by

  3  that accrediting agency.  Child care facilities and programs

  4  exempt under this section are solely responsible for their

  5  day-to-day operations and for compliance with the applicable

  6  Florida Statutes and the minimum standards of their

  7  accrediting agency for religious exemption.

  8         (7)  The department shall facilitate an annual meeting

  9  with accrediting agencies for religious exemption, health and

10  safety officials, and other interested child advocates to

11  exchange ideas for ensuring the health and safety of children

12  in child care facilities and programs.

13         Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.

14

15

16  ================ T I T L E   A M E N D M E N T ===============

17  And the title is amended as follows:

18  Remove from the title of the bill:  the entire title

19

20  and insert:

21                      A bill to be entitled

22         An act relating to child care facilities;

23         amending s. 402.3055, F.S.; requiring a signed

24         affidavit attesting to the accuracy of certain

25         information provided by an applicant for a

26         child care facility license; amending s.

27         402.310, F.S.; requiring the Department of

28         Children and Family Services to establish and

29         impose uniform penalties relating to child care

30         facility violations; requiring implementation

31         not contingent upon an appropriation; creating

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                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                   Bill No. HB 175

    Amendment No. 1 (for drafter's use only)





  1         s. 402.3105, F.S.; requiring the department to

  2         establish a database of information relating to

  3         violations, citations, and penalties imposed

  4         against child care facilities regulated by the

  5         state; specifying database capabilities and

  6         uses of information contained therein;

  7         requiring implementation not contingent upon an

  8         appropriation; amending s. 402.316, F.S.;

  9         revising requirements for child care programs

10         operated by a church, temple, or parochial

11         school that are exempt from state child care

12         licensing; requiring a certificate of

13         compliance issued by an approved accrediting

14         agency for religious exemption; providing

15         requirements for such agencies' minimum

16         standards, review of programs, and training and

17         credentialing of personnel; requiring such

18         child care programs to provide verification of

19         compliance with applicable minimum standards;

20         providing for review and recognition of an

21         agency's minimum standards by the department;

22         providing for update of minimum standards when

23         state minimum standards for child care

24         facilities are revised; requiring annual

25         reports and certain notifications to the

26         department by such agencies; requiring the

27         department to facilitate certain annual

28         meetings; providing an effective date.

29

30

31

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