SB236 Summary

• Establishes the Child Care Safety Act creating a new crime for owners, operators, or employees of child care facilities who administer medication to children with intent to drug them or alter behavior beyond medical prescription, punishable as Class A, B, or C felony depending on severity of harm.

• Revises the definition of "day care center" to explicitly include preschools, expanding facilities subject to licensure requirements.

• Removes the exemption from Department of Human Resources licensing for child care facilities operated by churches or nonprofit religious schools, requiring all such facilities to obtain licenses by August 1, 2018.

• Clarifies that licensing of faith-based child care facilities may not infringe upon their rights to teach or practice religion.

• Revises criminal history background check requirements by changing references from "Department of Public Safety" to "Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency" and updates provisions for exempt child care facilities operated by churches or religious schools.