D.C. Law 22-277. Parent-led Play Cooperative Amendment Act of 2018.

AN ACT

To amend the Child Development Facilities Regulation Act of 1998 to differentiate between formal and informal parent-led play cooperatives, and to exempt parent-led play cooperatives from the requirements of the act.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may be cited as the "Parent-led Play Cooperative Amendment Act of 2018".

Sec. 2. The Child Development Facilities Regulation Act of 1998, effective April 13, 1999 (D.C. Law12-215; D.C. Official Code § 7-2031 et seq.) is amended as follows:

(a) Section 2 (D.C. Official Code § 7-2031), is amended as follows:

(1) A new paragraph (3B) is added to read as follows:

"(3B) "Formal parent-led play cooperative" means:

"(A) A group of parents, step-parents, or legal guardians of participating children, including a group that has organized as a nonprofit organization, who have agreed to supervise the participating children during group meetings; and:

"(B) The group:

"(i) Meets at predetermined times for fewer than 4 hours per day;

"(ii) Meets at locations other than a home of one of the parents, step-parents, or legal guardians in the group;

"(iii) Does not require payment by parents, step-parents, or legal guardians, other than to cover the costs of administering the group, including rent, insurance, equipment, and activities;

"(iv) Requires, as a prerequisite to joining the group, that a parent, step-parent, or legal guardian of each participating child in the group volunteer a minimum number of hours to supervise the participating children during meetings, regardless of whether the group requires parents, step-parents, or legal guardians of every child to be present at every meeting;

"(v) Notifies, upon registration with the group, the parents, step-parents, and legal guardians of each participating child in the group that the group is not a child development facility licensed pursuant to this act;

"(vi) Does not employ any individual to supervise participating children on behalf of parents other than to facilitate activities while parents, step-parents, or legal guardians supervise the participating children; and

"(vii) Has written policies and procedures for the prevention of the spread of infectious diseases, response to and prevention of food allergies, emergency preparedness, and handling of health information.".

(2) A new paragraph (4A) is added to read as follows:

"(4A) "Informal parent-supervised neighborhood play groups" means:

"(A) A group of parents, step-parents, or legal guardians of participating children who gather together to allow children to play together; and

"(B) The group does not meet the definition of a formal parent-led play cooperative as defined in paragraph (3B) of this section.".

(b) Section 4 (D.C. Official Code § 7-2033) is amended by adding a new paragraph (2A) is added to read as follows:

"(2A) Formal parent-led play cooperatives;".

Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement.

The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a).

Sec. 4. Effective date.

This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of Columbia Register.