This bill, S.F. No. 2135, relates to child care licensing in Minnesota and introduces several changes:

1. Modifies Child Care Conditional License Requirements – The bill updates the procedure for issuing correction orders and conditional licenses for child care providers when they fail to comply with applicable laws or rules.

2. Standardized Visit Timelines and Requirements – Directs the commissioner to establish standardized inspection and visit procedures.

3. Amends the Definition of Education – The bill modifies certain educational criteria, though details are not provided in the excerpt.

4. Creates a Background Study Liaison – Establishes a liaison role to assist with background checks for child care providers.

5. Appropriates Funding – Allocates state funds to implement these changes.

6. Updates Conditional License Enforcement:

   • The commissioner can issue a correction order and/or a conditional license if a violation does not imminently endanger health or safety.
   • The order must clearly state the violation, the rule broken, the deadline for correction, and the terms of the conditional license.
   • The commissioner may propose additional sanctions before issuing a correction order.
   • If a violation is found, but it does not pose an immediate threat, the commissioner must first provide technical assistance before issuing penalties.
   • Repeat violations during follow-up inspections can result in correction orders or conditional licenses.
   • The new technical assistance approach applies specifically to licensed child care centers and family child care providers.

This bill aims to make child care licensing more structured while allowing providers an opportunity to correct minor infractions before penalties are imposed.