Legislation & Policy Watch

HB 2290

Referred to HEALTH, Feb. 18, 2020

Fitzgerald, Isabella(D) 

Act requiring indoor contamination assessment certifications and environmental certs. of child day-care centers; powers and duties of Dept. of Health, Human Services & Environmental Protection; establishing Child Day-Care Grant Program. Would require that new day care centers, should they wish to operate in a building that previously housed a high-hazard business, perform environmental health assessments to ensure that the building is free of harmful chemicals and safe to house children.

34 Pa. Code Chapter 231

House Adopts the Concurrent Resolution, 2/5/20

Approved by the Independent Regulatory Review Commission, 1/31/20. Must be signed by the Attorney General

PA Department of Labor & Industry

Overtime Rule: The regulations would require overtime pay to full-time salaried workers in executive, administrative, and professional jobs if they make less than $45,500. The increases will be rolled out by 2022 in three steps, starting with those who make under $35,568 annually in 2020, under $40,560 by 2021, and under $45,500 annually by 2022.

Status: First consideration by Health & Human Services, 2/5/20

Laughlin, Daniel (R) Erie

Would require the Department of Human Services to include the inspection of all smoke detectors in their annual inspection of child care facilities. In addition, the smoke detectors shall be interconnected so that if one is triggered, they all go off. The locations where the smoke detectors are installed will need to meet current code and follow it as it changes. All battery powered smoke detectors must be equipped with the 10 year lithium powered batteries. Lastly, if a smoke detector is found to have been tampered with or disabled, the child care facility will face a penalty.

Status: First Consideration by Labor & Industry, 2/5/2020

Laughlin, Daniel (R) Erie

Would require Family Child Care Homes to have a smoke detector on each floor and in the basement. The smoke detectors on each floor and in the basement of the family child care home shall be interconnected via hardwire, Bluetooth connectivity or any other means that allows for communications between the devices. The smoke detectors may be powered by a nonreplaceable lithium battery listed by Underwriters Laboratories that is warranted for ten years and should sound an alarm when activated that is audible to persons in the facility's indoor child care space with all intervening doors closed. Where this type of detector is utilized, the facility owner of this detector shall keep the proof and date of purchase of the detector in the facility's fire drill logs. Would also require FCCH to have a portable fire extinguisher rated for class B fires in the kitchen and other cooking areas and meet the exiting requirements for an R-3 occupancy and licensure under 55 Pa. Code Ch. 3290 (relating to family child day care homes).

Budget Related, 2/4/20

Governor Tom Wolf

• The 2020-21 budget proposes increasing the state minimum wage to $12 per hour effective July 1, 2020, with annual increases of $0.50 until the minimum wage reaches $15 per hour on July 1, 2026

• The budget also includes Lead Exposure Reduction Program with three specific components that will help reduce lead exposure and poisoning in Pennsylvania children—all-access testing, lead abatement activities, and education and outreach -- child care programs are included in these initiatives.

HB 309, PN 3133

Status: Re-reported as committed by Appropriations, 
1/15/2020 

Mehaffie, Thomas L.(R)

Dauphin County(Part)

An Act amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Human Services Code, in departmental powers and duties as to supervision, further providing for definitions and providing for Keystone STARS Program participants; and, in departmental powers and duties as to licensing, further providing for definitions and for fees and providing for Keystone STARS Program participants.

Would require programs to post STAR level on their web-site; provide information in writing to parents at application and enrollment about their STAR level; require posting of STAR level on a public facing window or at the entrance.

HB 2026
Status: Referred to Environmental Resources And Energy, 11/14/2019

Isaacson, MaryLouise (D) Philadelphia

Would lower the acceptable limit of lead in playground soil in the Commonwealth to 200 ppm from the EPA’s limit of 400 ppm.

Status: H discussed during public hearing - House Children and Youth
10/29/19 

Jozwiak, Barry (R)
Berks

Would amend the Human Services Code that would exempt municipal recreation programs from the definition of “child day care center” because it is prohibitively costly or even impossible for those facilities to be certified as a day care facility. 

HB 345

Status: Referred to Health, 2/1/ 2019

Cruz, Angel (D)
Philadelphia

Would require the Department of Human Services, in conjunction with the Department of Health, to develop guidelines for managing a child with a life-threatening food allergy. These guidelines would include reasonable accommodations to be made in child care centers to limit exposure to food allergens by children. Child care centers would be required to establish a food allergy policy in accordance with the guidelines and provide a notice of the policy to each enrolled child’s parent or guardian. 

Status: Referred to Health, 1/28/ 2019

Cruz, Angel (D)
Philadelphia

An Act amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Human Services Code, in departmental powers and duties as to supervision, providing for lead testing; and, in departmental powers and duties as to licensing, providing for lead testing. Would require child care centers or family child care homes water, paint, dust, and soil to be tested for lead. The department shall not issue an initial license or renew a license for maintaining, operating and conducting a child care center or family child care home if the lead certification and lead inspection indicate levels in excess of the levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

SB 39
 
Status: Referred to Senate Health & Human Services Committee
1/11/2019

Schwank, Judith L. (D)
 
Berks County (Part)

An Act amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Human Services Code, in departmental powers and duties as to supervision, providing for lead testing in children's institutions; and, in departmental powers and duties as to licensing, providing for lead testing in child day care centers and family child care homes.
 
Requires lead testing in child day care centers and family child care homes.