HB1405: relative to limiting publication of child care center violations.

HB 1405-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2024 SESSION

24-2685

05/08

HOUSE BILL 1405-FN

AN ACT relative to limiting publication of child care center violations.

SPONSORS: Rep. DeSimone, Rock. 18; Rep. Berry, Hills. 39

COMMITTEE: Special Committee on Childcare

ANALYSIS

This bill provides that the department of health and human services shall not publish specific child care center licensing violations unless the violation pertains to the safety or wellbeing of a child.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

24-2685

05/08

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Four

AN ACT relative to limiting publication of child care center violations.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Record of Investigatory and Monitoring Visits. Amend RSA 170-E:10, II to read as follows:

II. Information submitted in the application process shall be private, confidential, and not available for review. However, the license itself, [the findings] a summary of investigatory and monitoring visits, and final decisions relative to licensure of the child day care agency shall be considered public information, posted on the department's website, and available for review by members of the public. [The findings] A summary of investigatory and monitoring visits and final decisions relative to licensure shall be posted on the department's website not less than 21 business days from the date of the finding or decision, and shall be available on the website for a period of 3 years. Notwithstanding the forgoing, specific rule violations shall not be published on the department's website unless the violation pertains to the safety or wellbeing of a child.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

LBA

24-2685

11/29/23

HB 1405-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT relative to limiting publication of child care center violations.

FISCAL IMPACT: [ X ] State [ ] County [ ] Local [ ] None

Estimated State Impact - Increase / (Decrease)

FY 2024

FY 2025

FY 2026

FY 2027

Revenue

$0

$0

$0

$0

Revenue Fund(s)

None

Expenditures

$0

$78,000 - $500,000

$0

$0

Funding Source(s)

General Fund

Appropriations

$0

$0

$0

$0

Funding Source(s)

None

• Does this bill provide sufficient funding to cover estimated expenditures? [X] No

• Does this bill authorize new positions to implement this bill? [X] No

METHODOLOGY:

This bill amends RSA 170-E:10, II by requiring the Department of Health and Human Services to post on its website a summary, rather than the full findings, of child day care investigatory and monitoring visits. In addition, the bill stipulates that specific rule violations shall not be published on the Department's website unless they pertain to the safety or wellbeing of a child. The Department states that the proposed change will necessitate revisions to the computer systems used by the Child Care Licensing Unit, since these systems are structured to document findings (as opposed to summaries) and are used to publish rule violations to the Department's website. The Department states that the cost of previous revisions to these systems was approximately $78,000. The Department anticipates that the revisions needed to implement the changes contained in this bill will be between $78,000 and $500,000.

It is assumed any fiscal impact will take place in FY 2025.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of Health and Human Services