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An Act To Prohibit Child Care Providers from Requiring Payment during Vacation Closures
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §3737, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 158, §2, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
 
1.  Prohibitions on payments.     The department may not make:
 
A.  Cash payments to recipients for child care services provided under this chapter, except when those payments represent reimbursement for services already provided to the recipient; or
 
B.  Payments to providers of child care services or recipients for child care services provided under this chapter for any period of time the provider is closed because the provider is on vacation.
Sec. 2.  22 MRSA §8301-A, sub-§10  is enacted to read:
 
10.  Vacation.     A certified family child care provider, a licensed child care facility or a person who provides day care in that person's home for one or 2 children whose care is paid for by state or federal funds may not charge any fee for any period of time the provider is closed because the provider is on vacation.
Sec. 3.  22 MRSA §8402, sub-§3, ¶G  is enacted to read:
 
G.  The nursery school may not charge any fee for any period of time the nursery school is closed because the provider is on vacation.
 
SUMMARY
This bill prohibits a nursery school, a certified family child care provider, a licensed child care facility or a person who provides day care in that person's home for one or 2 children whose care is paid for by state or federal funds from charging any fee for any period of time the provider is closed because the provider is on vacation. It prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services from reimbursing providers of child care services or recipients for child care services for any period of time the provider is closed because the provider is on vacation.