STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
328
2011-2012 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE(Prefiled)
January 5, 2011
___________
Introduced by Sens. MONTGOMERY, DUANE, HASSELL-THOMPSON, OPPENHEIMER,
PARKER, SAVINO, SQUADRON, STEWART-COUSINS -- read twice and ordered
printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Educa-
tion
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the duties of the
commissioner of education with regard to early childhood education
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new
2 subdivision 42 to read as follows:
3 42. a. The commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner or the
4 commissioner's designee of the department of health, the office of chil-
5 dren and family services and the office of temporary and disability
6 assistance and the chair or the chair's designee of the early childhood
7 advisory council or its equivalent as appointed pursuant to the federal
8 head start reauthorization act of two thousand seven, shall examine,
9 evaluate, and make recommendations concerning the education and develop-
10 ment of children from birth through five years of age. The commissioner
11 shall identify, review, analyze and make recommendations about state
12 laws and regulations, programs and services including but not limited to
13 the following: requirements for the education of children from birth
14 through five years of age at all settings which care for such children
15 including but not limited to public and non-public schools, pre-kinder-
16 garten programs, day care centers and family day care, early inter-
17 vention programs, special education programs and other relevant
18 settings; requirements for developmental services necessary to the
19 education and development of children from birth through five years of
20 age at such settings; the health, family support and other services
21 necessary for the education and development of children from birth
22 through five years of age; requirements for the education, certification
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01532-01-1
S. 328 2
1 and training of personnel in such settings who are responsible for
2 education, developmental services and supervision of children from birth
3 through five years of age including teachers, teacher assistants and day
4 care providers, directors and employees; and the federal, state, and
5 local funding streams for early childhood education at public and non-
6 public schools, pre-kindergarten programs, day care centers and family
7 day care and other relevant settings.
8 b. The department shall report its findings, conclusions and recommen-
9 dations within eight months of the effective date of this subdivision to
10 the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the
11 assembly, the chairs of the senate and assembly committees on education,
12 the chairs of the senate and assembly committees on children and fami-
13 lies, the chairs of the senate and assembly committees on social
14 services and the chairs of the senate and assembly committees on health.
15 The report shall include recommendations for strengthening access to and
16 the quality of educational, developmental and family support programs
17 and services at all settings where such programs and services are
18 provided to children from birth through five years of age and the
19 consolidation of funding, oversight and enforcement for such programs
20 and services.
21 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
