Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

                                                                                               H.B. 1117
                          GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
                                                                                              May 14, 2020
                                      SESSION 2019                                       HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK
     H                                                                                                  D
                                   HOUSE BILL DRH30564-LUa-164
     Short Title:   Protect Child Care Workers/COVID-19 Pandemic.                                 (Public)
     Sponsors:      Representative von Haefen.
     Referred to:
                                     A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO ADDRESS ADDITIONAL CHILD CARE
     PROVIDER NEEDS IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
             SECTION 1.(a) The State Controller shall transfer the sum of one hundred
 twenty-one million three hundred ninety-six thousand two hundred forty dollars ($121,396,240)
 for the 2019-2020 fiscal year from the Coronavirus Relief Reserve established under Section 2.1
 of S.L. 2020-4 to the Coronavirus Relief Fund under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic
 Security (CARES) Act of 2020, P.L. 116-136, established in Section 2.2 of that act.
             SECTION 1.(b) There is appropriated from the Coronavirus Relief Fund to the
 Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education
 (DCDEE), the sum of one hundred twenty-one million three hundred ninety-six thousand two
 hundred forty dollars ($121,396,240) in nonrecurring funds for the 2019-2020 fiscal year to assist
 in addressing child care provider needs related to COVID-19 and are allocated as follows:
             (1)     Up to $100,000,000 for increased bonuses for child care teachers and staff
                     providing child care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
             (2)     $15,146,240 for health and sanitation supplies, personal protective equipment,
                     and deep cleaning services for child care programs in response to COVID-19.
             (3)     $500,000 to cover out-of-pocket costs, including co-payments or deductibles,
                     for COVID-19 testing for a child care provider or a child in a child care facility
                     at which another child care provider or child has tested positive for
                     COVID-19.
             (4)     $5,750,000 for an additional 52 local child care health consultants, at a
                     caseload of 50 child care facilities per consultant, to ensure statewide coverage
                     and one FTE State-level supervisor to support the additional local child care
                     health consultants. These funds shall be used to provide health consultation
                     services to support COVID-19 response by providing early educators with
                     training and technical assistance needed to prevent and manage the spread of
                     disease and to serve children with chronic or special health care, medication,
                     or health care needs.
             SECTION 1.(c) Any unspent funds remaining on June 30, 2020, shall be carried
 forward into the 2020-2021 fiscal year and are hereby appropriated for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
 The funds shall be used for the purposes described in this section and the requirements and
 limitations set forth in the CARES Act.
             SECTION 1.(d) This section is effective when it becomes law.
                                  *DRH30564-LUa-164*
     General Assembly Of North Carolina                                                   Session 2019
             SECTION 2.(a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of
 Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education, the sum of
 sixteen million two hundred thousand dollars ($16,200,000) in nonrecurring funds for the
 2020-2021 fiscal year to provide funding for two weeks of paid sick leave for child care teachers
 and staff providing child care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each child care teacher or staff
 person providing child care pursuant to this section shall receive payment for two weeks of sick
 leave at one hundred percent (100%) of the teacher or staff person's current wages, provided that
 a part-time teacher or staff person shall receive an amount equivalent to the wages that individual
 would typically earn over a two-week period.
             SECTION 2.(b) This section becomes effective July 1, 2020.
             SECTION 3. The Division of Child Development and Early Education shall provide
 a report to the House Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services, the Senate
 Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services, and the Fiscal Research Division by
 March 1, 2021, detailing the use of funds appropriated under this act.
             SECTION 4. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes
 law.
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