House Bill 1147
By: Representatives Olaleye of the 59th, Glaize of the 67th, Townsend of the 179th, Wilkerson
of the 38th, Howard of the 129th, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 1 of Chapter 1A of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to general provisions relative to early care and learning, so as to establish a grant
program to supplement the reimbursement rates paid by the Department of Early Care and
Learning to providers participating in the Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program;
to provide requirements for such grants; to provide definitions; to provide for related matters;
to provide for a short title; to provide for contingent effectiveness upon appropriation of
funds; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Georgia Childcare for Economic
Well-Being Act."
SECTION 2.
Article 1 of Chapter 1A of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
general provisions relative to early care and learning, is amended by adding a new Code
section to read as follows:
<ins>"20-1A-19.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Childcare and Parent Services program' and 'CAPS program' means the Childcare
and Parent Services (CAPS) program administered by the department.
(2) 'Family fee' means the family fee paid by a family directly to a provider and that is
assessed by the department based on a family's annual income and family unit size which
is deducted from the reimbursement rate.
(3) 'Provider' means an early care and education program that provides child care to a
child participating in the CAPS program.
(4) 'Published rate' means the full rate a provider charges for providing child care based
on the age of the child and the type of care provided.
(5) 'Rate differential' means the difference between a provider's published rate and the
reimbursement rate for such provider.
(6) 'Reimbursement rate' means the maximum rate paid by the department to reimburse
a provider and that is based on the location where child care is provided, the type of child
care provider selected, the age of the child, and the type of care provided.
(b) Subject to appropriations, the department shall establish a grant program to supplement
the reimbursement rates paid to providers for children participating in the CAPS program.
The department shall award a grant to each child participating in the CAPS program in an
amount equal to the amount of the rate differential plus the family fee for each such child.
Such grants shall be paid to the provider that provides child care for such child in the same
manner as other payments made by the department to such provider as part of the CAPS
program.
(c) In the event that funds appropriated for the grant program provided for in this Code
section are not sufficient to award a grant to each child participating in the CAPS program,
the department shall prioritize grants to children from families with the highest financial
</ins>
<ins>need, taking into consideration annual income, family unit size, and the family's share of
the cost of child care, including the family fee and rate differential."
</ins> SECTION 3.
This Act shall become effective only if funds are specifically appropriated for the purposes
of this Act in an appropriations Act making specific reference to this Act and shall become
effective when funds so appropriated become available for expenditure.
SECTION 4.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.