_____________ bill NO. _____________

INTRODUCED BY _________________________________________________

By Request of the ****

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT PROVIDING FOR the best beginnings child care scholarship program; and PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE."

WHEREAS, the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana recently conducted a survey to examine the adequacy of child care in Montana and found significant economic impacts for Montana parents, employers, and taxpayers; and

WHEREAS, of the 404 households that responded, 57% reported that finding affordable child care is a challenge, 46% reported leaving work in the previous month due to inadequate child care, and 44% of respondents missed a full day of work in the previous month due to inadequate child care; and

WHEREAS, other impacts of inadequate child care included survey respondents who declined to pursue further education or training, turned down a promotion or a job offer, reduced work hours from full- to part-time, and had been demoted, transferred to a less desirable position, or fired; and

WHEREAS, the economic impact for households earning $30,000 or less annually was approximately $3,400, more than 10%, in lost wages; and

WHEREAS, the overall average economic impact in 2019 to the Montana economy included a $5,700 loss to households, a $2,150 loss to businesses, and a $1,260 loss to taxpayers; and

WHEREAS, the overall total economic impact in 2019 that inadequate child care had on the state's economy included a loss of $145,146,000 to Montana households, $54,562,000 to Montana businesses, and $32,036,000 to Montana taxpayers; and

WHEREAS the aggregated 10-year burden on the Montana economy due to inadequate child care is forecasted to be a cost of $572 million to households, $207 million to businesses, and $128 million to taxpayers, for a total aggregated 10-year burden of $907 million from 2019 to 2028.

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

NEW SECTION. Section 1. Best beginnings child care scholarship program. There is a best beginnings child care scholarship program administered by the department of public health and human services. The program is established to provide scholarships to qualified low-income families whose child receives care provided by a licensed child-care provider. Each family shall participate in the cost of that child care by making a copayment based on a sliding fee scale.

NEW SECTION. Section 2. Codification instruction. [Section 1] is intended to be codified as an integral part of Title 52, chapter 2, part 7, and the provisions of Title 52, chapter 2, part 7, apply to [section 1].

NEW SECTION. Section 3. Effective date. [This act] is effective July 1, 2021.