1.1.................... moves to amend H. F. No. 920 as follows:
1.2Page 4, after line 3, insert:

1.3    "Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 119B.13, subdivision 7, is amended to read:
1.4    Subd. 7. Absent days. (a) Child care providers may not be reimbursed for more
1.5than 25 full-day absent days per child, excluding holidays, in a fiscal year, or for more
1.6than ten consecutive full-day absent days, unless the child has a documented medical
1.7condition that causes more frequent absences. Absences due to a documented medical
1.8condition of a parent or sibling who lives in the same residence as the child receiving
1.9child care assistance do not count against the 25-day absent day limit in a fiscal year.
1.10Documentation of medical conditions must be on the forms and submitted according to
1.11the timelines established by the commissioner. A public health nurse or school nurse
1.12may verify the illness in lieu of a medical practitioner. If a provider sends a child home
1.13early due to a medical reason, including, but not limited to, fever or contagious illness,
1.14the child care center director or lead teacher may verify the illness in lieu of a medical
1.15practitioner. If a child attends for part of the time authorized to be in care in a day, but is
1.16absent for part of the time authorized to be in care in that same day, the absent time will be
1.17reimbursed but the time will not count toward the ten consecutive or 25 cumulative absent
1.18day limits. Children in families where at least one parent is under the age of 21, does not
1.19have a high school or general equivalency diploma, and is a student in a school district
1.20or another similar program that provides or arranges for child care, as well as parenting,
1.21social services, career and employment supports, and academic support to achieve high
1.22school graduation, may be exempt from the absent day limits upon request of the program
1.23and approval of the county. If a child attends part of an authorized day, payment to the
1.24provider must be for the full amount of care authorized for that day. Child care providers
1.25may only be reimbursed for absent days if the provider has a written policy for child
1.26absences and charges all other families in care for similar absences.
2.1    (b) Child care providers must be reimbursed for up to ten federal or state holidays
2.2or designated holidays per year when the provider charges all families for these days
2.3and the holiday or designated holiday falls on a day when the child is authorized to be
2.4in attendance. Parents may substitute other cultural or religious holidays for the ten
2.5recognized state and federal holidays. Holidays do not count toward the ten consecutive or
2.625 cumulative absent day limits.
2.7    (c) A family or child care provider may not be assessed an overpayment for an
2.8absent day payment unless (1) there was an error in the amount of care authorized for the
2.9family, (2) all of the allowed full-day absent payments for the child have been paid, or (3)
2.10the family or provider did not timely report a change as required under law.
2.11    (d) The provider and family must receive notification of the number of absent days
2.12used upon initial provider authorization for a family and when the family has used 15
2.13cumulative absent days. Upon statewide implementation of the Minnesota Electronic
2.14Child Care System, the provider and family authorization for a family and ongoing
2.15notification of the number of absent days used as of the date of the notification.
2.16    (e) A county may pay for more absent days than the statewide absent day policy
2.17established under this subdivision, if current market practice in the county justifies
2.18payment for those additional days. County policies for payment of absent days in excess
2.19of the statewide absent day policy and justification for these county policies must be
2.20included in the county's child care fund plan under section 119B.08, subdivision 3."
2.21Renumber the sections in sequence and correct the internal references
2.22Amend the title accordingly