An Act amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Human Services Code, providing for Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program.

PRINTER'S NO. 949
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 506
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY L. WILLIAMS, SCHWANK, TARTAGLIONE, COMITTA, KANE,
SAVAL, HAYWOOD, HUGHES, CAPPELLETTI, COSTA, SANTARSIERO,
PISCIOTTANO AND MALONE, JUNE 18, 2025
REFERRED TO HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, JUNE 18, 2025
AN ACT
Amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), entitled "An
act to consolidate, editorially revise, and codify the public
welfare laws of the Commonwealth," providing for Child Care
Staff Recruitment and Retention Program.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known
as the Human Services Code, is amended by adding an article to
read:
ARTICLE XIII-B
CHILD CARE STAFF RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION PROGRAM
Section 1301-B. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this article
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Child care center." As defined in section 1001.
"Children's institution." As defined in section 901.
" Family child care home." As defined in section 1001.
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"Newly hired qualified staff member." A qualified staff
member who was initially hired after a qualified child care
provider submits an application under section 1302-B(c)(2) but
not later than six months after the qualified child care
provider receives a lump sum payment under section 1302-B(e)(2).
"Program." The Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention
Program established under section 1302-B.
"Qualified child care provider." As follows:
(1) A child care provider certified by the department
and that meets all of the following:
(i) is a children's institution that provides child
care under Article IX or is a child care center or a
family child care home under Article X; and
(ii) as of the date of the child care provider's
submitted application under section 1302-B (c)(2) :
(A) is in operation; and
(B) has a child care subsidy agreement with the
department.
(2) The term does not include a child care provider:
(i) that is under investigation for fraud;
(ii) subject to a Commonwealth lien;
(iii) whose certificate of compliance has been
revoked, denied or not renewed; or
(iv) that has a provisional license issued under
section 1008(a) or a provisional certificate of
compliance issued under 55 Pa. Code § 20.54(a) (relating
to provisional certificate of compliance).
"Qualified staff member." As follows:
(1) Any of the following:
(i) An employee of a qualified child care provider
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who directly supervises children.
(ii) An operator of a family child care home who
directly supervises children.
(2) The term does not include individuals who do not
directly supervise children, including child care center
executives or owners, janitorial staff, food service staff or
administrative or support staff.
Section 1302-B. Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention
Program.
(a) Establishment.--The Child Care Staff Recruitment and
Retention Program is established within the department for the
purpose of distributing annual lump-sum retention and
recruitment payments to qualified child care providers to the
extent funds are available.
(b) Funding and use.--Money appropriated to the department
for the program shall be distributed to qualified child care
providers in accordance with this article. Money distributed to
approved qualified child care providers must be used for annual
lump-sum retention and recruitment payments to qualified staff
members as provided under subsections (e) and (f).
(c) Application.--
(1) The department shall develop an application for
qualified child care providers to apply for annual lump-sum
recruitment and retention payments for qualified staff
members and post the application on the department's publicly
accessible Internet website.
(2) A qualified child care provider shall apply for
funding within 45 days of the initial posting of the
application in the form and manner as prescribed by the
department.
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(d) Department determination.--The department:
(1) shall approve or deny an application received under
subsection (c) no later than 45 days after receipt of the
application; and
(2) may not approve or distribute payments under this
article to an applicant that is not a qualified child care
provider.
(e) Allocation.--Money appropriated to the department shall
be allocated as follows:
(1) The department shall allocate money for payments to
qualified child care providers to administer individual
retention bonuses of up to $1,000 per qualified staff member.
(2) After allocating money for payments under paragraph
(1), the department shall allocate any remaining money for
payments to qualified child care providers to administer
recruitment bonuses of up to $1,000 per newly hired qualified
staff member. Funding under this paragraph shall be allocated
based on child care provider type and licensed capacity.
(f) Conditions.--The following shall apply to payments
received by approved qualified child care providers under this
article:
(1) Payments may not supplant existing money used for
staff wages, bonuses or benefits.
(2) Payments may only be used for the following purposes
and shall be spent within the fiscal year the payment was
made:
(i) Retention bonuses for qualified staff members.
(ii) Recruitment bonuses for newly hired qualified
staff members.
(3) A qualified staff member may not receive both a
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retention bonus and a recruitment bonus within the same
fiscal year.
(g) Recovery.--The department may recover money distributed
to a child care provider under this article if the provider does
not comply with the provisions of this article or with
applicable Federal or State law.
(h) Provider requirements.--A child care provider that
receives a payment from the department under this article shall
provide documents, records and other information related to a
payment made under this article in the time, manner and format
requested by the department or a Federal agency or another
Commonwealth agency that is authorized to audit the child care
provider or the payments.
(i) Records and recovery.--The department may:
(1) Monitor, inspect or audit the financial, operating
and accounting records of a child care provider that receives
a payment under this article, as deemed necessary by the
department.
(2) Withhold, recover or reduce a payment of a child
care provider if the provider does not comply with the
provisions of this article or with Federal or State
requirements.
(j) Reporting.--No later than September 30, 2026, and each
September 30 thereafter, the department shall issue a report to
the chair and minority chair of the Appropriations Committee of
the Senate and the chair and minority chair of the
Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives. The
report shall be posted on the department's publicly accessible
Internet website. The report shall include the following
information:
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(1) The number of payments made to qualified child care
providers.
(2) The county in which each qualified child care
provider receiving a payment is located.
(3) The total number of applications received in the
previous fiscal year.
(4) Any other information the department deems
necessary.
(k) Regulations.--The department may promulgate regulations
as necessary to administer the provisions of this section.
Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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