Senate Bill No. introduced by D. Lenz aims to revise the administrative rules governing the licensure of day-care facilities in Montana. The bill proposes to amend various sections of the Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM) to ensure alignment with statutory definitions, specifically changing terms such as "child care center" to "day-care center" and "child care facility" to "day-care facility." It seeks to remove references to school-age care from the child-care rules and repeal certain outdated ARM sections. The Department of Public Health and Human Services is directed to implement these changes, which include renumbering rules for better organization and updating definitions related to child care, such as introducing terms like "lead teacher" and "site director." The bill also specifies licensing requirements for different types of day-care providers and emphasizes child-to-staff ratios and supervision requirements.

Additionally, the bill introduces significant amendments to health and safety standards for licensed day-care centers, including requirements for annual health inspections, maintaining a smoke-free environment, and proper hygiene practices. It mandates that day-care centers provide nutritious meals that meet USDA dietary recommendations and outlines specific guidelines for infant feeding and immunization requirements. The bill also emphasizes the importance of staff training and background checks, requiring all staff working more than 500 hours annually to complete annual training. Furthermore, it expands the definition of a director to include Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) providers and mandates that individuals associated with day-care facilities undergo fingerprint and background checks. Overall, the bill aims to enhance the safety, quality, and regulatory oversight of child care services in Montana.