S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                   5690
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 13, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SANDERS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Corporations,  Authorities
   and Commissions
 
 AN ACT to amend the New York state urban development corporation act, in
   relation to evaluation and assistance to increase access to child care

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 1 of chapter 174 of the laws of 1968,  constituting
 the  New  York  state  urban  development corporation act, is amended by
 adding a new section 54 to read as follows:
   § 54. EVALUATION AND ASSISTANCE TO INCREASE ACCESS TO CHILD CARE.  (1)
 THE LEGISLATURE HEREBY FINDS THAT ACCESS TO QUALITY  CHILD  CARE  IS  AN
 IMPORTANT  ELEMENT OF THE STATE'S ECONOMY FOR WORKING FAMILIES, AND THAT
 CHILD CARE PROVIDERS COMPRISE A LARGE SECTOR IN NEW YORK STATE'S  ECONO-
 MY.  THE  LEGISLATURE FURTHER FINDS THAT THE POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE GROWTH
 IN THE STATE IS OFTEN LINKED TO THE NEXT GENERATION'S ACHIEVEMENTS.  THE
 ABILITY TO OBTAIN SUCH ACHIEVEMENTS ARE STRENGTHENED BY THE AVAILABILITY
 AND ADEQUACY OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. THE LEGISLATURE DECLARES THAT
 IT  IS  CRUCIAL  FOR  THE  GOVERNOR  AND LEGISLATURE TO OBTAIN RELIABLE,
 OBJECTIVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF INVESTING IN  CHILD
 CARE  PROGRAMS,  SPECIFICALLY IN LOW-INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS WITH PERVASIVE
 POVERTY AND HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT RATES.
   (2) FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION:
   (A) "ECONOMICALLY DISTRESSED AREAS" SHALL MEAN AREAS AS DETERMINED  BY
 THE  CORPORATION  MEETING  CRITERIA  INDICATIVE  OF  ECONOMIC  DISTRESS,
 INCLUDING HIGH  UNEMPLOYMENT  RATE;  HIGH  RATE  OF  EMPLOYMENT  CHANGE;
 PERCENTAGES AND NUMBERS OF LOW-INCOME PERSONS; PER CAPITA INCOME AND PER
 CAPITA  REAL  PROPERTY  WEALTH; AND SUCH OTHER INDICATORS OF DISTRESS AS
 THE CORPORATION  SHALL  DETERMINE.  ECONOMICALLY  DISTRESSED  AREAS  MAY
 INCLUDE  CITIES,  MUNICIPALITIES,  BLOCK  NUMBERING  AREAS,  AND  CENSUS
 TRACTS.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD04236-03-9

 S. 5690                             2
 
   (B) "CHILD CARE" SHALL MEAN  ANY  LICENSED,  REGISTERED  OR  REGULATED
 CHILD  CARE  PROGRAM  AS  DEFINED BY SECTION THREE HUNDRED NINETY OF THE
 SOCIAL SERVICES LAW.
   (3)  THE CORPORATION, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND
 FAMILY SERVICES, THE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE,  AND
 IF  PRACTICABLE, LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICTS, SHALL IDENTIFY A TOTAL
 OF FIVE ECONOMICALLY DISTRESSED AREAS THROUGHOUT THE STATE  TO  EVALUATE
 CHILD  CARE PROGRAMS WHICH ARE INTENDED TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF LOW-INCOME
 WORKING FAMILIES. IN ITS EVALUATION, THE CORPORATION SHALL:
   (A) DETERMINE THE AVAILABILITY AND CAPACITY  OF  CHILD  CARE  PROGRAMS
 THROUGHOUT  THE STATE AS WELL AS THE IMPACT THESE BUSINESSES HAVE ON THE
 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE SURROUNDING AREA;
   (B) DETERMINE THE FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS RELATED TO CHILD  CARE  FACING
 WORKING FAMILIES;
   (C)  DETERMINE  THE AVAILABLE FINANCIAL RESOURCES FOR WORKING FAMILIES
 WITH CHILDREN RELATED TO CHILD CARE;
   (D) DETERMINE THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF CHILD CARE ON EMPLOYED PERSONS OR
 PERSONS IN AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM;
   (E) DETERMINE THE FINANCIAL IMPACT THAT LACK OF ACCESS TO  CHILD  CARE
 HAS  ON  BUSINESSES  AND  THE  IMPACT  THAT  IT HAS ON WORKER RETENTION,
 PRODUCTIVITY AND OTHER APPROPRIATE FACTORS;
   (F) DETERMINE EXISTING STATE RESOURCES AVAILABLE  FOR  BUSINESSES  AND
 EMPLOYED PERSONS TO ASSIST WITH CHILD CARE COSTS; AND
   (G)  DETERMINE  WHAT  INCENTIVES EXIST FOR BUSINESSES TO PROVIDE CHILD
 CARE OPPORTUNITIES TO  THEIR  EMPLOYEES  INCLUDING  ON-SITE  CHILD  CARE
 PROGRAMS.
   (4)  UPON  COMPLETION OF THE STUDY AS REQUIRED BY SUBDIVISION THREE OF
 THIS SECTION, THE CORPORATION, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE OFFICE OF CHIL-
 DREN AND FAMILY SERVICES, THE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSIST-
 ANCE, AND IF PRACTICABLE, LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICTS, SHALL IDENTI-
 FY AND DEVELOP A STRATEGY FOR THE EXPANSION AND CREATION OF  CHILD  CARE
 PROGRAMS  IN  THE FIVE ECONOMICALLY DISTRESSED AREAS THROUGH THE VARIOUS
 PROGRAMS OF THE CORPORATION. TO THE  EXTENT  POSSIBLE,  THE  CORPORATION
 SHALL ALSO DETERMINE WAYS TO INCENTIVIZE BUSINESSES TO CREATE AND EXPAND
 THE AVAILABILITY OF CHILD CARE PROGRAMS. THE CORPORATION SHALL DETERMINE
 A  STRATEGY  TO  INCLUDE CHILD CARE AS A CRITERIA COMPONENT FOR EXISTING
 AND NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS WHEN FEASIBLE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.