Committee approves relaxing child care provider rules

A burden on child care providers could be eased by cutting them some regulatory slack, industry advocates say.

Rep. Roz Peterson

HF3403, sponsored by Rep. Roz Peterson (R-Lakeville), would require the Department of Human Services, which regulates child care, to review licensing rules for providers and create a stakeholder engagement process in order to get feedback from them. The department would have to report back to the Legislature by Jan. 31, 2019 its recommendations for potential reform.  

The House Health and Human Services Reform Committee approved the bill Wednesday and forwarded it, as amended, to the House Floor.

Peterson said the engagement process would be the first step in repairing the working relationship between child care providers and the department.  

“Our current rules are decades old, and are the cause of much … regulatory pain being felt by providers,” Peterson said.

Several rule changes would also be implemented. For example, the bill would expand the allowable sleep systems for certain-aged infants to any product not under a recall. It would also loosen regulations on how often providers have to notify parents about what kind of insurance the facility has.  

The companion is SF3310, sponsored by Sen. Bill Weber (R-Luverne). It awaits action by the Senate Human Services Reform Finance and Policy Committee.