Bill Text: NY A08921 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to the creation of an early learning council; provides support for public and private investment in early learning for children up to the age of five.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 20-0)

Status: (Vetoed) 2014-12-17 - tabled [A08921 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-A08921-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         8921
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                   February 28, 2014
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by M. of A. LUPARDO, SILVER, NOLAN, HEASTIE, TITUS, GUNTHER,
         RUSSELL -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. DAVILA, FAHY,  JAFFEE,  KIM,
         LAVINE,  ROBINSON,  SOLAGES,  STECK  --  read once and referred to the
         Committee on Children and Families
       AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to the creation  of
         the early learning council
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. The social services law is amended by adding a new  article
    2  10-E to read as follows:
    3                                ARTICLE 10-E
    4                           EARLY LEARNING COUNCIL
    5  SECTION 484-A. CREATION AND PURPOSE.
    6          484-B. COMPOSITION.
    7          484-C. POWERS AND DUTIES.
    8          484-D. TERM.
    9          484-E. SHARING OF INFORMATION.
   10    S  484-A.  CREATION  AND PURPOSE. THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED AN EARLY
   11  LEARNING COUNCIL. THE PURPOSE OF THE EARLY LEARNING COUNCIL IS TO SECURE
   12  SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN EARLY LEARNING FOR CHILDREN
   13  UP TO THE AGE OF FIVE BY FOCUSING ON PRACTICES THAT  ARE  EDUCATIONALLY,
   14  ECONOMICALLY, AND SCIENTIFICALLY SOUND.
   15    S  484-B.  COMPOSITION.  THE  EARLY  LEARNING COUNCIL SHALL CONSIST OF
   16  MEMBERS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE DIRECTORS OF THE BUDGET,  THE
   17  COMMISSIONER  OF THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES, THE COMMIS-
   18  SIONER OF THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE
   19  OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE,  THE  PRESIDENT  OF  THE  EMPIRE
   20  STATE  DEVELOPMENT  CORPORATION, OR THEIR RESPECTIVE DESIGNEES; AT LEAST
   21  FOUR REPRESENTATIVES OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY APPOINTED BY  THE  GOVER-
   22  NOR,  AND  AT  LEAST  TWO  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE  BUSINESS  COMMUNITY
   23  APPOINTED BY THE SPEAKER AND THE  TEMPORARY  PRESIDENT  OF  THE  SENATE,
   24  RESPECTIVELY.  THE COUNCIL MAY ORGANIZE SUBCOMMITTEES TO REVIEW SPECIFIC
   25  FUNDING AND POLICY PRIORITIES.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD14008-02-4
       A. 8921                             2
    1    S 484-C. POWERS AND DUTIES. THE EARLY LEARNING COUNCIL  WILL  MEET  AT
    2  LEAST TWICE A YEAR AND WILL HAVE THE FOLLOWING POWERS AND DUTIES:
    3    1. DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES TO ENGAGE BUSINESS AND CIVIC
    4  LEADERS AND ORGANIZATIONS IN EARLY LEARNING PLANNING AND ADVOCACY AT THE
    5  STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL;
    6    2.  CONSULTING  WITH  PERSONS  WITH  EXPERIENCE  IN THE FIELD OF EARLY
    7  CHILDHOOD EDUCATION ON FUNDING AND POLICY PRIORITIES;
    8    3. INCREASING BUSINESS, CIVIC AND PUBLIC AWARENESS OF  THE  IMPORTANCE
    9  OF  EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION; INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE DISTRIB-
   10  UTION OF LITERATURE THROUGH MAIL OR ONLINE, ORGANIZING OF  MEETINGS  AND
   11  EVENTS AND PROMOTING THE COST BENEFITS OF INVESTMENTS IN LEARNING; AND,
   12    4.  DEVELOPING  AN  ANNUAL  REPORT  TO  THE  GOVERNOR  AND LEGISLATURE
   13  CONTAINING INFORMATION ON ALL ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE PREVIOUS YEAR AS
   14  WELL AS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS  AND
   15  POLICIES.
   16    S  484-D.  TERM. APPOINTED MEMBERS OF THE EARLY LEARNING COUNCIL SHALL
   17  SERVE FOR A TERM OF THREE  YEARS  AND  CONTINUE  TO  SERVE  UNTIL  THEIR
   18  SUCCESSOR  IS  APPOINTED.  MEMBERS SERVING AS A RESULT OF THEIR POSITION
   19  WITH STATE GOVERNMENT SHALL SERVE SO LONG AS THEY REMAIN IN SUCH CAPACI-
   20  TY. ANY VACANCIES SHALL BE  FILLED  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION  FOUR  HUNDRED
   21  EIGHTY-FOUR-B  OF THIS ARTICLE. MEMBERS SHALL SERVE WITHOUT COMPENSATION
   22  EXCEPT FOR PAYMENT OF NECESSARY AND ACTUAL EXPENSES INCURRED IN  ATTEND-
   23  ING  MEETINGS  AND  IN  PERFORMING  THEIR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AS
   24  MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
   25    S 484-E. SHARING  OF  INFORMATION.  THE  EARLY  LEARNING  COUNCIL  MAY
   26  REQUEST,  AND SHALL RECEIVE, INFORMATION FROM ANY STATE OR LOCAL GOVERN-
   27  MENTAL AGENCY NECESSARY TO COMPLETE ITS DUTIES PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE,
   28  SO LONG  AS  SUCH  INFORMATION  IS  NON-IDENTIFYING  AND  NOT  OTHERWISE
   29  PROTECTED BY LAW.
   30    S  2.  This act shall take effect immediately; provided that the first
   31  annual report required pursuant to section 484-c of the social  services
   32  law  as  added by section one of this act shall be due September 1, 2015
   33  and every September 1 thereafter.