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North Carolina House Bill H951

North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina House Bill H951 Compare Versions

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11 GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
22 SESSION 2025
3-H 1
4-HOUSE BILL 951
3+H D
4+HOUSE BILL DRH40501-CIa-10
5+
56
67
78 Short Title: SOS (State Owned Structures) Child Care Act. (Public)
8-Sponsors: Representatives Helfrich, Hawkins, Liu, and Colvin (Primary Sponsors).
9-For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
10-Referred to: Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
11-April 14, 2025
12-*H951 -v-1*
9+Sponsors: Representative Helfrich.
10+Referred to:
11+
12+*DRH40501 -CIa-10*
1313 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
1414 AN ACT TO ALLOW THE USE OF STATE-OWNED PROPERTY FOR THE USE OF CHILD 2
1515 CARE FOR STATE EMPLOYEES, TO REQUIRE RENOVATIONS OR NEW BUILDS 3
1616 OF STATE-OWNED PROPERTY TO INCLUDE A CHILD CARE CENTER OR ADULT 4
1717 CARE CENTER, TO CREATE A PILOT PROGRAM FOR USE OF STATE -OWNED 5
1818 PROPERTY FOR CHILD CARE FACILITIES FOR STATE EMPLOYEES, TO CREATE 6
1919 A PILOT PROGRAM FOR COUNTY GRANTS FOR THIRD -SHIFT CHILD CARE FOR 7
2020 FIRST RESPONDERS, TO REQUIRE A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR ON-SITE CHILD 8
2121 CARE AT EACH NORTH CAROLINA COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND COLLEGE IN 9
2222 THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA SYSTEM, AND TO ESTABLISH A 10
2323 WORKGROUP TO EXAMINE STREAMLINING LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS FOR 11
2424 PHYSICAL STRUCTURES FOR COMMERCIAL CHILD CARE FACILITIES. 12
2525 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 13
2626 14
2727 PART I. USE OF STATE-OWNED PROPERTY FOR CHILD CARE CENTERS FOR 15
2828 STATE EMPLOYEES 16
2929 SECTION 1.(a) The Department of Administration shall report to the Joint 17
3030 Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services and the Joint Legislative 18
3131 Commission on Governmental Operations, no later than March 31, 2026, on the feasibility and 19
3232 advisability of using obsolete or underutilized State-owned buildings (available buildings) to 20
3333 house child care facilities giving child care priority to State employees. The report shall include 21
3434 the following: 22
3535 (1) Location of each available building. 23
3636 (2) Estimated costs for upfitting each property to meet daycare licensing 24
3737 standards. 25
3838 (3) Estimated costs for asbestos and lead remediation. 26
3939 (4) Barriers to the available buildings' use as a child care facility. 27
4040 SECTION 1.(b) Any project undertaken by the State to build or renovate property 28
4141 having a budget greater than five million dollars ($5,000,000) shall include a child care center or 29
4242 adult day care center if more than 250 people would work in the building. This requirement 30
4343 includes current projects which have not broken ground by July 1, 2025, unless one or both of 31
4444 the following exceptions apply: 32
4545 (1) Inclusion of either type of center would delay the project by six months or 33
46-more. 34 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
47-Page 2 House Bill 951-First Edition
48-(2) Inclusion of either type of center would increase the project cost by ten percent 1
49-(10%) or more. 2
50- 3
51-PART II. CHILD CARE FOR STATE EMPLOYEES 4
52-SECTION 2.(a) The Division of Child Development and Early Education shall 5
53-establish a pilot program for onsite child care for State employees as follows: 6
54-(1) The Division of Child Development and Early Education shall contract with 7
55-a private commercial child care provider to establish three child care centers 8
56-for State employees' use to be established on State-owned property that is 9
57-unused or underutilized. 10
58-(2) Priority in contracting shall be given to commercial child care providers who 11
59-currently operate five or fewer facilities and provide high-quality child care. 12
60-(3) The Division of Child Development and Early Education must include the 13
61-following terms in the contract with the commercial child care providers: 14
62-a. The child care facility must operate an apprenticeship program in 15
63-conjunction with a public or private university or community college 16
64-who operates an early child care education program. 17
65-b. The child care center must comply with the requirements established 18
66-by the Division of Child Development and Early Education for the 19
67-apprenticeship program. 20
68-c. The child care center must maintain the operation of the apprenticeship 21
69-program for so long as the child care center is housed in State-owned 22
70-property and the university or community college is willing to 23
71-continue the partnership. 24
72-d. The State will provide the upfit cost of the space to meet the licensure 25
73-requirements at reasonable levels that are customary at the operators' 26
74-other facilities and those similarly situated and provide use of the space 27
75-rent free, notwithstanding the provisions of G.S. 146-29.1. 28
76-e. The lease terms for State-owned property must be approved as 29
77-required by G.S. 146-27. 30
78-SECTION 2.(b) The Division of Child Development and Early Education shall 31
79-create the requirements for the apprenticeship program and pair the child care centers with a 32
80-university or community college early education program utilizing parameters similar to the 33
81-Durham Childcare Apprenticeship Program. 34
82-SECTION 2.(c) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 35
83-Health and Human Services the sum of five million dollars ($5,000,000) for the 2025-2026 fiscal 36
84-year for the Division of Child Development and Early Education's use in establishing the child 37
85-care centers as required by Section 2(a) of this act. 38
86-SECTION 2.(d) If any expenses are incurred by the State for asbestos or lead 39
87-remediation in establishing the child care centers required by Section 2(a) of this act, the State 40
88-shall be eligible for reimbursement from the Asbestos and Lead Remediation Fund subject to the 41
89-rules of the fund for up to five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000). 42
90-SECTION 2.(e) By April 1, 2027, the Division of Child Development and Early 43
91-Education shall report on and make recommendations to the Joint Legislative Oversight 44
92-Committee on Health and Human Services, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on 45
93-General Government, and the Fiscal Research Division the status of the implementation of the 46
94-pilot program, including successes, concerns, problems encountered, enrollment, and 47
95-expenditures. 48
96-SECTION 2.(f) Sections 2(c) and 2(d) of this act are effective July 1, 2025. 49
97- 50
98-PART III. ON-SITE CHILD CARE FOR THIRD-SHIFT FIRST RESPONDERS 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
99-House Bill 951-First Edition Page 3
100-SECTION 3.(a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 1
101-Health and Human Services the sum of six million dollars ($6,000,000) for the 2025-2026 fiscal 2
102-year for a pilot program to provide counties grants to establish third-shift child care for first 3
103-responders, with priority to be given to third-shift facilities operated in unused or underutilized 4
104-county-owned buildings. By April 1, 2027, the Department of Health and Human Services shall 5
105-report on and make recommendations to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health 6
106-and Human Services, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on General Government, and 7
107-the Fiscal Research Division regarding the implementation of the pilot program, including 8
108-successes, concerns, problems encountered, enrollment, and expenditures. 9
109-SECTION 3.(b) Section 3(a) of this act is effective July 1, 2025. 10
110- 11
111-PART IV. ON-SITE CHILD CARE AT EACH NORT H CAROLINA COMMUNITY 12
112-COLLEGE AND COLLEGE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CA ROLINA SYSTEM 13
113-SECTION 4.1.(a) Report. – The State Board of Community Colleges shall study 14
114-and report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, the Joint Legislative 15
115-Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services, and the Fiscal Research Division, no later 16
116-than March 31, 2026, on the feasibility and advisability of implementing a publicly available 17
117-child care program on every community college campus that offers priority enrollment to the 18
118-children of community college employees and students. The report shall include the following: 19
119-(1) Recommendations for implementing the child care program. 20
120-(2) Estimated costs for implementation and maintenance of the child care 21
121-program. 22
122-(3) Return on investment of the child care program. 23
123-(4) Issues related to historical and ongoing utilization of grants or other funding. 24
124-(5) Barriers to implementation of the child care program. 25
125-SECTION 4.1.(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Community 26
126-Colleges System Office the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for the study 27
127-required by Section 4.1(a) of this act. 28
128-SECTION 4.1.(c) Section 4.1(b) of this act is effective July 1, 2025. 29
129-SECTION 4.2.(a) The Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina shall 30
130-study and report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, the Joint Legislative 31
131-Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services, and the Fiscal Research Division, no later 32
132-than March 31, 2026, on the feasibility and advisability of implementing a publicly available 33
133-child care program at each constituent institution campus that offers priority enrollment to the 34
134-children of university employees and students. The report shall include: 35
135-(1) Recommendations for implementing the child care program. 36
136-(2) Estimated costs for implementation and maintenance of the child care 37
137-program. 38
138-(3) Return on investment of the child care program. 39
139-(4) Issues related to historical and ongoing utilization of grants or other funding. 40
140-(5) Barriers to implementation of the child care program. 41
141-SECTION 4.2.(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of 42
142-Governors the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for the study required by Section 43
143-4.2(a) of this act. 44
144-SECTION 4.2.(c) Section 4.2(b) of this act is effective July 1, 2025. 45
145- 46
146-PART V. ESTABLISH WO RKGROUP TO EXAMINE S TREAMLINING LICENSUR E 47
147-REQUIREMENTS FOR PHY SICAL STRUCTURE OF C OMMERCIAL CHILD CARE 48
148-FACILITIES 49
149-SECTION 5.(a) The Division of Child Development and Early Education shall 50
150-establish the Commercial Child Care Licensure Workgroup to examine streamlining 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
151-Page 4 House Bill 951-First Edition
152-requirements related to the physical structure of commercial child care centers. The workgroup 1
153-shall consist of one representative from each of the following to be chosen by the North Carolina 2
154-Child Care Commission: 3
155-(1) The Division of Child Development and Early Education. 4
156-(2) The Office of the State Fire Marshal. 5
157-(3) The Department of Insurance. 6
158-(4) The North Carolina Building Code Council. 7
159-(5) The Division of Public Health. 8
160-(6) The League of Municipalities. 9
161-(7) The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. 10
162-The North Carolina Child Care Commission shall also appoint two commissioners to 11
163-the workgroup who shall also serve as cochairs of the workgroup. 12
164-SECTION 5.(b) The workgroup shall develop findings and recommendations related 13
165-to at least the following: 14
166-(1) Streamlining the licensing requirements related to the physical facilities 15
167-related to commercial child care facilities, including building codes, fire 16
168-codes, and sanitation codes. 17
169-(2) Developing statewide, uniform application of the commercial child care 18
170-licensing requirements related to the physical facility, including building 19
171-codes, fire codes, and sanitation codes and statewide, uniform inspections 20
172-related to those codes. 21
173-(3) Resolving conflicts between various code requirements for commercial child 22
174-care licensing. 23
175-SECTION 5.(c) By January 1, 2026, the Division of Child Development and Early 24
176-Education shall report the findings and recommendations of the workgroup to the Joint 25
177-Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services, the Joint Legislative Oversight 26
178-Committee on General Government, and the Fiscal Research Division. 27
179- 28
180-PART VI. EFFECTIVE DATE 29
181-SECTION 6. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes 30
182-law. 31
46+more. 34
47+(2) Inclusion of either type of center would increase the project cost by ten percent 35
48+(10%) or more. 36
49+H.B. 951
50+Apr 10, 2025
51+HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
52+Page 2 DRH40501-CIa-10
53+ 1
54+PART II. CHILD CARE FOR STATE EMPLOYEES 2
55+SECTION 2.(a) The Division of Child Development and Early Education shall 3
56+establish a pilot program for onsite child care for State employees as follows: 4
57+(1) The Division of Child Development and Early Education shall contract with 5
58+a private commercial child care provider to establish three child care centers 6
59+for State employees' use to be established on State-owned property that is 7
60+unused or underutilized. 8
61+(2) Priority in contracting shall be given to commercial child care providers who 9
62+currently operate five or fewer facilities and provide high-quality child care. 10
63+(3) The Division of Child Development and Early Education must include the 11
64+following terms in the contract with the commercial child care providers: 12
65+a. The child care facility must operate an apprenticeship program in 13
66+conjunction with a public or private university or community college 14
67+who operates an early child care education program. 15
68+b. The child care center must comply with the requirements established 16
69+by the Division of Child Development and Early Education for the 17
70+apprenticeship program. 18
71+c. The child care center must maintain the operation of the apprenticeship 19
72+program for so long as the child care center is housed in State-owned 20
73+property and the university or community college is willing to 21
74+continue the partnership. 22
75+d. The State will provide the upfit cost of the space to meet the licensure 23
76+requirements at reasonable levels that are customary at the operators' 24
77+other facilities and those similarly situated and provide use of the space 25
78+rent free, notwithstanding the provisions of G.S. 146-29.1. 26
79+e. The lease terms for State-owned property must be approved as 27
80+required by G.S. 146-27. 28
81+SECTION 2.(b) The Division of Child Development and Early Education shall 29
82+create the requirements for the apprenticeship program and pair the child care centers with a 30
83+university or community college early education program utilizing parameters similar to the 31
84+Durham Childcare Apprenticeship Program. 32
85+SECTION 2.(c) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 33
86+Health and Human Services the sum of five million dollars ($5,000,000) for the 2025-2026 fiscal 34
87+year for the Division of Child Development and Early Education's use in establishing the child 35
88+care centers as required by Section 2(a) of this act. 36
89+SECTION 2.(d) If any expenses are incurred by the State for asbestos or lead 37
90+remediation in establishing the child care centers required by Section 2(a) of this act, the State 38
91+shall be eligible for reimbursement from the Asbestos and Lead Remediation Fund subject to the 39
92+rules of the fund for up to five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000). 40
93+SECTION 2.(e) By April 1, 2027, the Division of Child Development and Early 41
94+Education shall report on and make recommendations to the Joint Legislative Oversight 42
95+Committee on Health and Human Services, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on 43
96+General Government, and the Fiscal Research Division the status of the implementation of the 44
97+pilot program, including successes, concerns, problems encountered, enrollment, and 45
98+expenditures. 46
99+SECTION 2.(f) Sections 2(c) and 2(d) of this act are effective July 1, 2025. 47
100+ 48
101+PART III. ON-SITE CHILD CARE FOR THIRD-SHIFT FIRST RESPONDERS 49
102+SECTION 3.(a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 50
103+Health and Human Services the sum of six million dollars ($6,000,000) for the 2025-2026 fiscal 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
104+DRH40501-CIa-10 Page 3
105+year for a pilot program to provide counties grants to establish third-shift child care for first 1
106+responders, with priority to be given to third-shift facilities operated in unused or underutilized 2
107+county-owned buildings. By April 1, 2027, the Department of Health and Human Services shall 3
108+report on and make recommendations to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health 4
109+and Human Services, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on General Government, and 5
110+the Fiscal Research Division regarding the implementation of the pilot program, including 6
111+successes, concerns, problems encountered, enrollment, and expenditures. 7
112+SECTION 3.(b) Section 3(a) of this act is effective July 1, 2025. 8
113+ 9
114+PART IV. ON-SITE CHILD CARE AT EACH NORTH CAROLINA COMMUNITY 10
115+COLLEGE AND COLLEGE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA SYSTEM 11
116+SECTION 4.1.(a) Report. – The State Board of Community Colleges shall study 12
117+and report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, the Joint Legislative 13
118+Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services, and the Fiscal Research Division, no later 14
119+than March 31, 2026, on the feasibility and advisability of implementing a publicly available 15
120+child care program on every community college campus that offers priority enrollment to the 16
121+children of community college employees and students. The report shall include the following: 17
122+(1) Recommendations for implementing the child care program. 18
123+(2) Estimated costs for implementation and maintenance of the child care 19
124+program. 20
125+(3) Return on investment of the child care program. 21
126+(4) Issues related to historical and ongoing utilization of grants or other funding. 22
127+(5) Barriers to implementation of the child care program. 23
128+SECTION 4.1.(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Community 24
129+Colleges System Office the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for the study 25
130+required by Section 4.1(a) of this act. 26
131+SECTION 4.1.(c) Section 4.1(b) of this act is effective July 1, 2025. 27
132+SECTION 4.2.(a) The Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina shall 28
133+study and report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, the Joint Legislative 29
134+Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services, and the Fiscal Research Division, no later 30
135+than March 31, 2026, on the feasibility and advisability of implementing a publicly available 31
136+child care program at each constituent institution campus that offers priority enrollment to the 32
137+children of university employees and students. The report shall include: 33
138+(1) Recommendations for implementing the child care program. 34
139+(2) Estimated costs for implementation and maintenance of the child care 35
140+program. 36
141+(3) Return on investment of the child care program. 37
142+(4) Issues related to historical and ongoing utilization of grants or other funding. 38
143+(5) Barriers to implementation of the child care program. 39
144+SECTION 4.2.(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of 40
145+Governors the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for the study required by Section 41
146+4.2(a) of this act. 42
147+SECTION 4.2.(c) Section 4.2(b) of this act is effective July 1, 2025. 43
148+ 44
149+PART V. ESTABLISH WORKGROUP TO EXAMINE STREAMLINING LICENSURE 45
150+REQUIREMENTS FOR PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF COMMERCIAL CHILD CARE 46
151+FACILITIES 47
152+SECTION 5.(a) The Division of Child Development and Early Education shall 48
153+establish the Commercial Child Care Licensure Workgroup to examine streamlining 49
154+requirements related to the physical structure of commercial child care centers. The workgroup 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
155+Page 4 DRH40501-CIa-10
156+shall consist of one representative from each of the following to be chosen by the North Carolina 1
157+Child Care Commission: 2
158+(1) The Division of Child Development and Early Education. 3
159+(2) The Office of the State Fire Marshal. 4
160+(3) The Department of Insurance. 5
161+(4) The North Carolina Building Code Council. 6
162+(5) The Division of Public Health. 7
163+(6) The League of Municipalities. 8
164+(7) The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. 9
165+The North Carolina Child Care Commission shall also appoint two commissioners to 10
166+the workgroup who shall also serve as cochairs of the workgroup. 11
167+SECTION 5.(b) The workgroup shall develop findings and recommendations related 12
168+to at least the following: 13
169+(1) Streamlining the licensing requirements related to the physical facilities 14
170+related to commercial child care facilities, including building codes, fire 15
171+codes, and sanitation codes. 16
172+(2) Developing statewide, uniform application of the commercial child care 17
173+licensing requirements related to the physical facility, including building 18
174+codes, fire codes, and sanitation codes and statewide, uniform inspections 19
175+related to those codes. 20
176+(3) Resolving conflicts between various code requirements for commercial child 21
177+care licensing. 22
178+SECTION 5.(c) By January 1, 2026, the Division of Child Development and Early 23
179+Education shall report the findings and recommendations of the workgroup to the Joint 24
180+Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services, the Joint Legislative Oversight 25
181+Committee on General Government, and the Fiscal Research Division. 26
182+ 27
183+PART VI. EFFECTIVE DATE 28
184+SECTION 6. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes 29
185+law. 30