Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29; Title 49 and Title 71.

This bill creates a 15-member Tennessee child care task force to recommend a strategic action plan to guide the administration and the general assembly with regard to certain issues concerning child care. The task force will be administratively attached to the department of human services and will consist of the following members: (1) The commissioner of human services; (2) The commissioner of labor and workforce development, or the commissioner's designee; (3) The commissioner of economic and community development, or the commissioner's designee; (4) The commissioner of education, or the commissioner's designee; (5) The commissioner of health, or the commissioner's designee; (6) One state senator appointed by the speaker of the senate; (7) One state representative appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; (8) Four representatives from organizations representing the business community that do not provide direct child care services, two of which to be appointed by each speaker; and (9) Four experienced providers of high-quality child care services, two of which to be appointed by each speaker. The members of the task force will not be compensated for their service but will be eligible for travel expense reimbursement. The full text of this bill specifies procedural requirements that will apply to the task force. This bill specifically requires the task force to do the following: (1) Hold an organizational meeting no later than October 1, 2021, and meet at least monthly thereafter; (2) Develop a strategic action plan for increasing the availability of high quality, affordable, and accessible child care in this state; (3) Hire and oversee a strategic consulting firm to support the development of the strategic plan and the gathering of data and information needed for informed decision-making; (4) Identify resources across state government departments that could be streamlined, coordinated, and more effectively utilized to address child care challenges; and (5) Submit an interim progress report of its findings and recommendations to the general assembly no later than July 1, 2022, and a final report of its findings and recommendations no later than December 31, 2022, at which time the task force will cease to exist. ON APRIL 27, 2021, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #3 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 677, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #3 adds that, if the task force conducts meetings by conference call or video conference, such meeting comply with the present public meetings law requirements for participation by electronic or mother means. This amendment replaces "gender" with "sex" as a characteristic for which diversity is to be ensured with regard to the task force's membership. This amendment also requires the speakers to strive to ensure diversity of the task force when making appointments, but removes the requirement that the speakers confer in making the appointments. This amendment replaces the duties of the task force that are described in (2)-(4) of the Bill Summary with the following: (1) Develop a strategic action plan for increasing the availability of high-quality, affordable, and accessible child care in this state, specifically in the context of the impacts of COVID-19 on families, child care providers, employers, and communities in this state; (2) In compliance with the purposes and requirements of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, hire and oversee a strategic consulting firm to support the development of the strategic plan by examining the short, medium, and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on the demand for and availability of child care in this state, and strategies to support the existing network of child care providers and increase the supply of high quality, affordable, and accessible child care in communities where needed; and (3) Identify resources across state government departments that could be streamlined, coordinated, and more effectively utilized to address child care challenges.