S.B. 2894 Summary

• Clarifies licensure exemptions for child care facilities to minimize operations in violation of law, including specifying that caregivers must be related to each child individually rather than just "the caregiver" and defining specific family relationships qualifying for exemptions.

• Requires minimum health and safety standards as mandated by federal law to apply to any exempt persons or facilities providing child care to children whose families receive subsidies from the department.

• Shifts burden of proof to caregivers and facilities to demonstrate they qualify for exemptions and provide verification documentation to the department.

• Expands investigation authority to allow the department to determine any violations of child care regulations (not just specific limited issues) and permits filing petitions for search warrants with district courts involving law enforcement agencies.

• Renumbers exemption paragraphs in section 346-152 to realign with administrative practices and correspondence predating Act 276, Session Laws of Hawaii 2019.