The department and the department of social and health services, in consultation with interested individuals and organizations, shall jointly:

(1) Identify different options to track subsidized child care attendance, including methods using a land line or cellular telephone, a computer, a point of sale system, or some combination of these methods and report their recommended method to the legislature no later than December 31, 2011. Each department’s recommendations must include implementation issues to be addressed and a proposed implementation timeline, and should assume a January 2013 implementation date for the attendance tracking system. The legislature shall review the recommendations and authorize implementation. The method that is chosen must interface smoothly with the current and future payment systems for subsidized child care payments.

(2) Conduct an assessment of the current subsidized child care eligibility determination system and develop recommendations to improve the accuracy, efficiency, and responsiveness of the system, including consideration of the most appropriate entity or entities to make eligibility determinations. The results of the assessment shall be reported to the legislature no later than December 31, 2011.

Findings—Intent—Effective date—2011 1st sp.s. c 42: See notes following RCW 74.08A.260.

Finding—2011 1st sp.s. c 42: See note following RCW 74.04.004.