S.8134 Summary

• Requires child day care providers found operating without proper licensure, registration, or permits to immediately cease operations upon written notice, with parents notified in writing and notices posted prominently on premises and websites.

• Expands the searchable public registry maintained by the Office of Children and Family Services to include detailed compliance and inspection history for all licensed, registered, and permitted programs, including those with revoked licenses in the last six years.

• Increases maximum civil penalties from $500 to $2,000 per day, with tiered penalties based on violation severity: up to $1,000 per day for first offenses causing harm to children, up to $500 per day for other violations, and up to $2,500 per day for unlicensed/unregistered operations.

• Extends the suspension or limited license period from 30 days to require specific findings regarding child safety risks before implementation, and allows suspension without a hearing only when child health and safety are at imminent risk.

• Increases the prohibition period for reapplication from two to three years for providers whose licenses or registrations were revoked or suspended, and from two to five years for providers assessed a second civil penalty for unlicensed operation.