Pennsylvania HB 1600: An Act amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Human Services Code, in departmental powers and duties as to supervision, providing for Keystone STARS Program; and, in departmental powers and duties as to licensing, further providing for fees, providing for Keystone STARS Program and further providing for definition.

Bill Text

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1909 PRINTER'S NO. 1944
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1600
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY MEHAFFIE, CERRATO, CIRESI, FREEMAN, McNEILL,
O'MARA, RABB, SANCHEZ, SCHLOSSBERG, SOLOMON, TAKAC AND
HANBIDGE, JUNE 11, 2025
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, JUNE 17, 2025
AN ACT
Amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), entitled "An
act to consolidate, editorially revise, and codify the public
welfare laws of the Commonwealth," in departmental powers and
duties as to supervision, providing for Keystone STARS
Program; and, in departmental powers and duties as to
licensing, further providing for fees, providing for Keystone
STARS Program and further providing for definition.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known
as the Human Services Code, is amended by adding a section to
read:
Section 923. Keystone STARS Program.--(a) Each certified
child-care provider A CHILD CARE FACILITY PARTICIPATING in the
Keystone STARS Program may:
(1) Denote on its publicly accessible Internet website, if
operational, its designated STAR-level rating, which shall
include how many STARS that the certified child-care provider
CHILD CARE FACILITY has received.
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(2) Provide, in a linguistically appropriate manner, the
certified child-care provider's TO A PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN AT
THE TIME OF THE APPLICATION, THE CHILD CARE FACILITY'S STAR-
level rating and the DEPARTMENT'S publicly accessible Internet
website of the department that includes information on the
Keystone STARS Program in writing to a parent or legal guardian
at the time of application .
(3) Obtain a department-issued placard that denotes the
certified child-care provider's CHILD CARE FACILITY'S
participation in the Keystone STARS Program and designated STAR-
level rating, which may be displayed in a public-facing
location.
(b) The department shall be responsible for issuing placards
to program participants in conformance with the following:
(1) The placards shall be clear, visible, readable and
linguistically appropriate.
(2) The placards shall include the following information:
(i) The name of the certified child-care provider CHILD CARE
FACILITY .
(ii) The name of the department.
(iii) The date that the department issued the placard.
(iv) The number of STARS that the certified child-care
provider CHILD CARE FACILITY has received.
(v) The address, telephone number, publicly accessible
Internet website that includes information on the Keystone STARS
Program and e-mail address of the department.
(c) The department shall issue guidance that establishes a
Keystone STARS rubric which provides a pathway for a certified
child-care provider CHILD CARE FACILITY that chooses to
participate in the Keystone STARS Program to move up a STAR
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level by permitting demonstration of a combination of staff
qualifications, work experience and professional development,
quality early childhood education program activities,
partnerships with families and communities and effective
leadership and program management when applying for additional
STARS.
(d) As used in this section, the following words and phrases
shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection:
"Certified child-care provider" means:
(1) A child-care center or family child-care home certified
or licensed under Article X.
(2) A provider certified or "CHILD CARE FACILITY" MEANS A
FACILITY licensed to provide child care under Article IX THIS
ARTICLE .
"Keystone STARS" means the standards, training and
professional development, assistance, resources and supports
(STARS) used in the Commonwealth's quality rating and
improvement system for certified child-care providers CHILD CARE
FACILITIES .
"STAR" means a level of performance rating for early learning
programs participating in the Keystone STARS Program that
assesses staff education, learning environment, leadership and
management and family and community partnerships.
Section 2. Section 1006 of the act is amended to read:
Section 1006. Fees.--Annual licenses shall be issued when
the proper fee, if required, is received by the department and
all the other conditions prescribed in this act are met. For
personal care homes, the fee shall be an application fee. The
fees shall be:
Facility Annual Fee
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Adult day care center $ 15
Mental health establishment 50
Personal care home-- 0 - 20 beds 15
-- 21 - 50 beds 20
-- 51 - 100 beds 30
--101 beds and above 50
No fee shall be required for the annual license in the case of
[day] child care centers, family child care