Revision: June 8, 2022, 10:18 a.m.
CHAPTER 179
SB 446-FN-A - FINAL VERSION
03/31/2022 1125s
2022 SESSION
22-3049
07/05
SENATE BILL 446-FN-A
SPONSORS: Sen. Whitley, Dist 15; Sen. Hennessey, Dist 1; Sen. Rosenwald, Dist 13; Sen. Soucy, Dist 18; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. Kahn, Dist 10; Sen. Cavanaugh, Dist 16; Sen. Sherman, Dist 24; Sen. Perkins Kwoka, Dist 21; Sen. Prentiss, Dist 5; Sen. D'Allesandro, Dist 20; Rep. Wallner, Merr. 10; Rep. McWilliams, Merr. 27; Rep. Rombeau, Hills. 7
COMMITTEE: Health and Human Services
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AMENDED ANALYSIS
This bill directs the department of health and human services, in consultation with the child care advisory council, to submit a plan to the governor, the speaker of the house, the senate president, and the governor's office for economic relief and recovery relative to fostering sustainable childcare opportunities within the state.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
03/31/2022 1125s 22-3049
07/05
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Two
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
179:1 Statement of Findings and Purpose.
I. Industries rely on a stable and qualified workforce. Many industries in the granite state are struggling to recruit and retain their workforce in these unprecedented times. Child care businesses are no different. What is different is that the child care industry employs the workforce behind the workforce, allowing employees from other industries to be and stay on the job. When child care businesses cannot recruit and retain employees, classrooms and programs close down, resulting in fewer child care spaces for the children of New Hampshire’s labor force, resulting in employees having to resign or turn down job offers across all industries.
II. The child care industry is also unique in its dual role of supporting the workforce of today while preparing the workforce of tomorrow.
III. Another unique aspect of the child care workforce is that young children in their care often experience turnover as loss when their beloved teacher leaves. The legislature should do all it can to ensure that does not happen too often in the life of a child.
IV. In May 2021, the director of the New Hampshire economic and labor market information bureau reported that “increasing the labor force participation rate of women ages 25-54 by just 1.3 percent (10,000) through increased access to child care would add over $1 billion to New Hampshire’s gross domestic product by 2031 and over $1.5 billion in personal income.”
V. In May 2020, the bipartisan legislative advisory board of governor's office for emergency relief and recovery stated, “as we begin reopening our economy, the biggest impediment to getting people back to work is access to safe, reliable, and affordable childcare.”
VI. Addressing the current child care workforce shortage is key to New Hampshire's economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and will provide critical infrastructure for parents to work or to pursue training or education while their child is in an affordable, safe, nurturing and educationally-enriching environment.
VII. The purpose of this act is to advance solutions to stabilize New Hampshire’s child care workforce, which benefits all industries, working families, and the children and youth in their care.
179:2 Child Care Workforce Initiative. The department of health and human services, in consultation with the advisory council on child care established in RSA 126-A:17, shall develop a plan to submit to the governor's office for economic relief and recovery by June 30, 2022 to help foster sustainable childcare opportunities for working families and businesses. Such a plan shall focus on strategies to rapidly increase recruitment and retention of staffing at child care facilities, including consideration of recruitment and retention bonus and benefit grants for certain New Hampshire child care employers, strategies to ensure a future workforce, costs for facilities, and strategies to increase access and affordability of child care for families statewide. The plan shall also be submitted to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the president of the senate.
179:3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
Approved: June 07, 2022
Effective Date: June 07, 2022