HB 222

Abstract

Child day centers operated by religious institutions; exemption from licensure by Superintendent of Public Instruction.Exempts fully from the statutory requirement to be licensed by theSuperintendent of Public Instruction any child day center that is operated or conducted under the auspices of a religious institutionthat (i) has tax exempt status as a nonprofit religious institutionin accordance with § 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954,as amended, or (ii) owns and exclusively occupies real property thatis exempt from local taxation. Under current law, such child daycenters are exempt from licensure but are still subject to severalenumerated requirements. The bill, however, preserves the requirementfor such child day centers to conduct background checks for employeesand volunteers and prohibits the employment or service at such child day centers of any such individual who has been convicted of anybarrier crime as defined in relevant law or who is the subject ofa founded complaint of child abuse or neglect.