HB 530 Summary

• Establishes a new licensing framework for sick-child care centers under the Department of Job and Family Services, with rules to be adopted in consultation with the Director of Health.

• Requires sick-child care centers to have a physician, certified nurse practitioner, or registered nurse on premises whenever children are in care, plus a licensed practical nurse or nurse aide, with maximum staffing ratios of 4:1 children to staff and 2:1 for preschool/school-age children.

• Mandates separate rooms for different illness types (chicken pox, gastrointestinal), evaluation rooms, recovery rooms, and specific safety/sanitation standards including hand hygiene guidelines from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• Requires written admissions policies specifying which illnesses qualify for admission, reviewed and approved by board-certified physicians in family medicine or pediatrics at initial application, after six months, and annually thereafter.

• Establishes penalties for operating unlicensed sick-child care centers, ranging from fines of $100-$500 multiplied by average daily child census to misdemeanor and felony charges for repeat violations.