Report Title:

Public Contracts; Child Care

Description:

Requires public contractors for child care services to pay their employees pursuant to a career ladder to be developed by the department of human services. Requires the department of human services to establish a subsidy program for certain child care workers.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1270

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO CHILD CARE WORKERS.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the most essential component of high-quality child care is the quality of the caregiver. Because child care workers are poorly paid, turnover is rampant. Accordingly, there is a strong need to foster and encourage the professionalization of child care.

The legislature further finds that states and localities across the nation are implementing career ladders. The state of Washington, for example, has been operating a career ladder since 2000, which has proven to be highly successful. Washington's program uses Temporary Assistance to Needy Families funds to give child care workers wage increases based on education, job responsibility, and experience. Funding for the program is shared with private entities, and the state contributes a large proportion for child care centers that serve a high percentage of low-income children. An independent evaluation of Washington's program found that wages have increased and turnover has decreased in participating child care centers.

The purpose of this Act is to set wage conditions on persons contracting with the department of human services to provide child care services.

SECTION 2. Chapter 346, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§346- Child care workers; subsidy program. (a) The department of human services shall establish and operate a professionalization and retention subsidy program to help pay the wages of child care workers whose employers whose employers are under contract with the department of human services to provide child care services under section 103-55(a). The employer may apply for subsidies of up to $1 per hour per child care worker if the provider agrees to pay wages to all its child care workers not less than the career ladder's designated salary for a worker with that level of education and experience.

(b) The department of human services shall establish procedures to ensure that moneys provided under this subsection are not used to supplant existing wages.

(c) The department of human services through its rules shall establish minimum requirements for a child care worker career ladder. The minimum requirements shall take into account the child care worker's years of experience and educational attainment. On July 1 of each year, the department of human services shall adjust the wage rates in direct proportion to any increase in the consumer price index for urban Honolulu, as reported by the United States Department of Labor.

(d) This section shall not apply to child care workers who are covered by a bona fide collective bargaining agreement.

(e) For the purposes of this section, a "career ladder" means a wage classification system where wages increase by increments for the attainment of educational goals and for years of experience as a child care worker."

SECTION 3. Section 103-55, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

"(a) Before any offeror enters into a contract to perform services in excess of $25,000 for any governmental agency, the offeror shall certify that the services to be performed will be performed under the following conditions:

Wages. The services to be rendered shall be performed by employees paid at wages or salaries not less than the wages paid to public officers and employees for similar work.

However, no contract with a governmental agency to provide child care services shall be granted unless the contract includes a career ladder for child care workers that meets or exceeds the minimum requirements to be established by rule by the state procurement officer. During the duration of the contract, the contractor shall pay to each child care worker who is covered by the contract not less than the career ladder's designated salary for a worker with that level of education and experience. The state procurement officer shall establish and operate a professionalization and retention subsidy program to help pay the wages of certain child care workers. Child care providers may apply for subsidies of up to one dollar per hour per child care worker if the provider agrees to pay wages to all its child care workers not less than the career ladder's designated salary for a worker with that level of education and experience. The state procurement officer shall establish procedures to ensure that moneys provided under this subsection are not used to supplant existing wages. For the purposes of this subsection, a "career ladder" means a wage classification system where wages increase by increments for the attainment of educational goals and for years of experience as a child care worker.

Compliance with labor laws. All applicable laws of the federal and state governments relating to workers' compensation, unemployment compensation, payment of wages, and safety will be fully complied with."

SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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