ASSEMBLY, No. 1624

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  PAMELA R. LAMPITT

District 6 (Burlington and Camden)

SYNOPSIS

     Prohibits child care providers from charging any fees for service on days when providers are unable to provide child care services due to contraction of, or exposure to, COVID-19.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

An Act concerning child care providers and supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

     1.  a.  Notwithstanding any law or regulation to the contrary, a child care provider shall be prohibited from charging a parent any fees for child care services on days when the provider or an assistant provider, substitute provider, alternate provider, or other employee of the provider is unable to provide such services due to contraction of, or exposure to, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

     b.  As used in this act, “child care provider” means a child care provider operating a facility licensed pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1983, c.492 (C.30:5B-1 et seq.) or a family day care provider registered pursuant to P.L 1987, c. 27 (C.30:5B-16).

     2.  A child care provider who, prior to enactment of P.L.    , c.    (pending before the Legislature as this bill), charged a parent any fees for child care services on days when the provider or an assistant provider, substitute provider, alternate provider, or other employee of the provider was unable to provide such services due to contraction of, or exposure to, COVID-19 shall reimburse that parent in the amount equal to the fees the provider charged the parent.

     3.  This act shall take effect immediately and section 2 of this act shall be retroactive to December 1, 2021.

STATEMENT

     This bill prohibits a child care provider from charging a parent any fees for child care services on days when the provider or an assistant provider, substitute provider, alternate provider, or other employee of the provider is unable to provide such services due to contraction of, or exposure to, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

     As defined in the bill, “child care provider” means a child care provider operating a facility licensed pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1983, c.492 (C.30:5B-1 et seq.) or a family day care provider registered pursuant to P.L 1987, c. 27 (C.30:5B-16).

     The bill further stipulates that, prior to its enactment and retroactive to December 1, 2021, if a child care provider charged a parent any fees for child care services on days when the provider or an assistant provider, substitute provider, alternate provider, or other employee of the provider was unable to provide such services due to contraction of, or exposure to, COVID-19, the provider is to reimburse that parent in the amount equal to the fees the provider charged the parent.