EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
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SENATE BILL 452
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By: Senator King
Introduced and read first time: January 21, 2025
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Child Care Affordability Commission – Establishment 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Child Care Affordability Commission to study and 3
make recommendations regarding child care affordability in the State; and generally 4
relating to the Child Care Affordability Commission. 5
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 6
That: 7
(a) There is a Child Care Affordability Commission. 8
(b) The Commission consists of the following members: 9
(1) two members of the Senate of Maryland, appointed by the President of 10
the Senate; 11
(2) two members of the House of Delegates, appointed by the Speaker of 12
the House; 13
(3) the Secretary of Labor, or the Secretary’s designee; 14
(4) the Comptroller, or the Comptroller’s designee; 15
(5) the State Superintendent of Schools, or the State Superintendent’s 16
designee; 17
(6) one representative of the Maryland Family Network, designated by the 18
Executive Director of the Maryland Family Network; 19
(7) one representative of the Maryland State Child Care Association, 20
designated by the President of the Maryland State Child Care Association; 21 2 SENATE BILL 452
(8) one representative of the Maryland State Family Child Care 1
Association, designated by the President of the Maryland State Family Child Care 2
Association; 3
(9) one representative of the Maryland Head Start Association, designated 4
by the President of the Maryland Head Start Association; 5
(10) one representative of the Latino Child Care Association of Maryland, 6
Inc., designated by the President of the Latino Child Care Association of Maryland, Inc.; 7
and 8
(11) the following members, appointed by the Governor: 9
(i) two parents of children eligible for scholarships from the Child 10
Care Scholarship Program; 11
(ii) two representatives from child care providers that: 12
1. serve children under the age of 5 years; and 13
2. accept scholarships from the Child Care Scholarship 14
Program; 15
(iii) one representative of a labor union that represents child care 16
workers; 17
(iv) one representative of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce; 18
(v) one representative of the Maryland Retailers Alliance; 19
(vi) two representatives of large employers in the State that employ 20
more than 1,000 employees; 21
(vii) two representatives of medium–sized employers in the State that 22
employ between 500 and 1,000 employees; 23
(viii) two representatives of small employers in the State that employ 24
fewer than 500 employees; and 25
(ix) two nonvoting representatives of national child care policy 26
organizations with expertise in state child care financing models. 27
(c) The Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House 28
jointly shall designate the chair of the Commission. 29
(d) The Governor’s Office for Children shall provide staff for the Commission. 30 SENATE BILL 452 3
(e) A member of the Commission: 1
(1) may not receive compensation as a member of the Commission; but 2
(2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 3
Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 4
(f) (1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Commission may accept 5
charitable or philanthropic contributions. 6
(2) The Commission may use charitable or philanthropic contributions 7
accepted under paragraph (1) of this subsection only to hire external consultants. 8
(g) The Commission shall study and make recommendations regarding child care 9
affordability in the State, including: 10
(1) an identification of: 11
(i) obstacles to obtaining a fiscally sustainable system of child care 12
and early childhood education that meets the needs of children living in poverty and 13
children at risk of living in poverty; 14
(ii) barriers to increasing the supply of child care while offering 15
additional supports and incentives to achieve and maintain quality; 16
(iii) measures to ensure the success and sustainability of the Child 17
Care Scholarship Program for working families and any additional measures to support 18
working families, including business tax credits and other incentives for investments in 19
child care; and 20
(iv) revenue streams to create an adequate and sustainable source of 21
funding for child care in the State; 22
(2) a determination of the economic threshold the State should use to cap 23
the cost of child care for families in the State; and 24
(3) an examination of any other relevant issues concerning access to or the 25
quality or affordability of child care, as determined by the Commission. 26
(h) (1) On or before January 1, 2026, the Commission shall submit an interim 27
report of its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly in accordance with § 28
2–1257 of the State Government Article. 29
(2) On or before December 1, 2026, the Commission shall submit a final 30
report of its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly in accordance with § 31
2–1257 of the State Government Article. 32 4 SENATE BILL 452
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 1
1, 2025. It shall remain effective for a period of 2 years and, at the end of June 30, 2027, 2
this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and 3
of no further force and effect. 4