Bill > LD1689

Introduced Session

This bill implements the recommendations of the Commission to Study Expansion of Public Preschool and Early Care and Education, which was established pursuant to Public Law 2023, chapter 477. It provides that a public elementary school constructed after October 1, 2025 must include an area that may be used for preschool instruction or child care. It directs the Department of Education to revise the essential programs and services funding formula regarding the method it uses to fund preschool instruction to use a method similar to that used for funding kindergarten instruction in order to provide incentives to school administrative units to provide full-day preschool instruction. It directs the Department of Education to study early childhood educator and provider credentialing procedures and policies as they relate to nursery school teachers, preschool teachers, kindergarten teachers and elementary school teachers. The department is required to identify barriers to the expansion of preschool programs in this State and recommend improvements to early childhood educator and provider credentialing procedures and policies that would provide greater flexibility in credentialing and facilitate the expansion of preschool programs by school administrative units. It directs the Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the Department of Education and stakeholders, to study the standards and rules for early childhood educators and providers in order to better align standards and rules across early childhood educators and providers and reduce barriers to the expansion of preschool programs and the provision of early childhood education services. It requires the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services to each report their findings, including any suggested legislation, to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs and the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services no later than December 3, 2025. The Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs and the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services each may report out legislation based on the reports to the Second Regular Session of the 132nd Legislature. The bill provides funding to establish 4 regional coordinator positions in the Department of Education to work with schools and potential partners in different regions of the State that are looking to start or expand public preschool programs. The bill also provides a total of $4,000,000 for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 for a preschool expansion grant program.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Tavis Hasenfus (D)*,  Michael Brennan (D),  Ed Crockett (I),  Mattie Daughtry (D),  Ryan Fecteau (D),  Jim Libby (R),  Kelly Noonan Murphy (D),  Teresa Pierce (D), 

Pursuant to Joint Rule 310.3 Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD) (on 05/21/2025)

Official Document