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No. 76 Page 20 of 74 2023

VT LEG #371318 v.1 five percent may be used to contract with a third party to provide technical assistance to child care providers to build or maintain capacity and to provide information on the opportunities and requirements of this act. (b) In administering the readiness payment program established by this section, the Division shall utilize the Agency of Administration bulletin pertaining to beneficiaries in effect on May 1, 2023. The Division may either use the same distribution framework used to distribute Child Care Development Block Grant funds in accordance with the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 or it may utilize an alternative distribution framework. (c) The Commissioner shall provide a status report on the distribution of readiness payments to the Joint Fiscal Committee at its November 2023 meeting. Sec. 8a. 33 V.S.A. § 3514 is amended to read: § 3514. PAYMENT TO PROVIDERS (a) The Commissioner shall establish a payment schedule for purposes of reimbursing providers for full- or part-time child care services rendered to families who participate in the programs established under section 3512 or 3513 of this title. Payments established under this section shall reflect the following considerations: whether the provider operates a licensed child care facility or a registered family child care home, type of service provided, cost of providing the service, and the prevailing market rate for comparable service. Payments shall be based on enrollment status or any other basis agreed to by