Requires the establishment of a legislative child care facility for use of members and staff of the legislature to be located in a part of the empire state plaza complex that has legislative offices and to be contracted by a private child care provider; makes an appropriation therefor.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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5996
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 25, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. TAGUE -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the legislative law, in relation to creating a legisla-
tive child care facility; and making an appropriation therefor
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Legislative intent. The Legislature finds that there is a
2 need to provide a licensed and regulated day care service to the members
3 of the Senate and Assembly and the staff of the Senate and Assembly on
4 site at cost to be paid for by the members and staff of the legislature
5 who use the child care service. With members and staff often having
6 irregular working hours it is found that providing child care services
7 that are flexible to those non-traditional hours and at a location on
8 site is necessary for the child care needs of members and staff. It is
9 the intent that offering this service would entice recruitment and
10 retention of staff and legislators as the public service sector has a
11 workforce shortage. It is the hope that this program could act as a
12 guide to other public or private sector businesses to offer day care
13 services to its employees as an additional benefit.
14 § 2. The legislative law is amended by adding a new section 7-h to
15 read as follows:
16 § 7-h. Legislative child care. There shall be a legislative child care
17 facility for use by members and staff of the legislature to be located
18 in a part of the empire state plaza complex that has legislative offices
19 and in rooms assigned by the commissioner of the office of general
20 services, conveniently accessible to the legislators and staff of both
21 houses of the legislature, and such child care facility shall be open
22 throughout the year.
23 Such child care facility shall be contracted by a private child care
24 provider which is licensed subject to the requirements of sections three
25 hundred ninety, three hundred ninety-a, and three hundred ninety-b of
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08445-01-5
A. 5996 2
1 the social services law. Such child care facility shall be open at hours
2 subject to the needs of the legislature, notwithstanding any other
3 provision. Such child care provider shall be chosen by the temporary
4 president of the senate and speaker of the assembly.
5 The cost of the child care services shall be set by the contracted
6 child care provider.
7 § 3. The sum of $100,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is
8 hereby appropriated to support the design and construction of a legisla-
9 tive child care facility as established by section 7-h of the legisla-
10 tive law from any moneys in the state treasury not otherwise appropri-
11 ated and made immediately available to the New York state office of
12 general services or to the dormitory authority of the state of New York
13 for the purpose of preparation and review of plans, specifications,
14 estimates, services, inspection studies, appraisals, surveys, testing
15 and environmental impact statements and for the cost of consultant
16 design service.
17 § 4. This act shall take effect April 1, 2026.