Bills Proposed for Early Care and Education

An array of bills have been drafted by individual members of the Connecticut House and Senate that concern children's issues, especially early care and education.  The Alliance will follow these bills and provide updates as they progress.

New this week (January 26, 2009):
Proposed H.B. No. 5426 REP. BYE, 19th DIST.; REP. JARMOC, 59th DIST.; REP. MCCLUSKEY, 20th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING CHILD CARE SUBSIDIES FOR THE UNEMPLOYED UNDER THE CARE 4 KIDS PROGRAM', to provide parents who lose their jobs or are transitioning to a new job with child care assistance. REF. HUMAN SERVICES

Proposed H.B. No. 5715 REP. JOHNSON, 49th DIST. 'AN ACT ESTABLISHING A RECIPROCITY CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS', to allow Connecticut to expand its educational workforce. REF. EDUCATION

Proposed H.B. No. 5719 REP. GROGINS, 129th DIST.; REP. BARTLETT, 2nd DIST.; REP. JOHNSON, 49th DIST.; REP. SANTIAGO, 130th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING THE EARLY READING SUCCESS PROGRAM', to support early reading, all-day kindergarten and reduced class sizes in priority school districts. REF. EDUCATION

Proposed H.B. No. 5724 REP. BYE, 19th DIST.; REP. JARMOC, 59th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING EDUCATION PROGRAMS RECEIVING STATE FUNDING', to improve the quality of state-funded early childhood education programs. REF. EDUCATION

Proposed H.B. No. 5731 REP. JOHNSON, 49th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING FUNDING FOR AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS IN PRIORITY SCHOOL DISTRICTS', to help working parents by providing quality after-school care, preventing teen pregnancy, keeping children off the streets and reducing crime. REF. EDUCATION

Proposed H.B. No. 5734 REP. FONTANA, 87th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING THE ELIGIBILITY AGE FOR FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN', to give towns the option to limit full-day kindergarten eligibility based on child development standards. REF. EDUCATION

Proposed H.B. No. 5744 REP. JOHNSON, 49th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING THE FULL FUNDING OF THE EARLY READING SUCCESS PROGRAM', to require the state to provide educational opportunities for its students. REF. EDUCATION

Proposed H.B. No. 5746 REP. CARSON, 108th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING THE AGE FOR KINDERGARTEN', to require all kindergarten students to have reached the age of five by September first. REF. EDUCATION

Proposed H.B. No. 5752 REP. BYE, 19th DIST.; REP. MCCLUSKEY, 20th DIST.; REP. FLEISCHMANN, 18th DIST.; SEN. HARRIS, 5th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING TOWN USE OF GRANTS FOR SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAMS', to remove mandates that limit how towns spend grants for preschool programs. REF. EDUCATION

Proposed H.B. No. 5764 REP. BYE, 19th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER CREDENTIALS', to reflect the work of the early childhood workforce committee in defining early childhood education qualifications. REF. EDUCATION

Proposed H.B. No. 5772 REP. GROGINS, 129th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING THE EARLY READING SUCCESS PROGRAM', to support early reading, all-day kindergarten and reduced class sizes in priority school districts. REF. EDUCATION

Proposed H.B. No. 5813 REP. ROY, 119th DIST.; SEN. MEYER, 12th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING PESTICIDE APPLICATIONS AT DAY CARE FACILITIES AND SCHOOLS', to permit only a certified pesticide applicator to apply pesticide within a day care facility unless an emergency application is necessary, to require parental notification of any such application, and to extend the exception to the ban on the application of pesticides at schools until July 1, 2010. REF. ENVIRONMENT

Proposed H.B. No. 5841 REP. BYE, 19th DIST.; REP. JARMOC, 59th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING A UNIFORM REPORTING FORM FOR PRESCHOOL AND CHILD CARE PROGRAMS', to reduce duplicative reporting requirements. REF. HUMAN SERVICES

Proposed S.B. No. 257 SEN. MEYER, 12th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING THE APPLICATION OF PESTICIDES AT DAY CARE FACILITIES', to protect young children from the toxicity of pesticides. REF. SELECT COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN

Proposed S.B. No. 475 SEN. BOUCHER, 26th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING THE AGE A CHILD STARTS KINDERGARTEN', to require students to have reached age five by September first of the year they enter kindergarten. REF. EDUCATION

Proposed S.B. No. 479 SEN. FONFARA, 1st DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING SCHOOL READINESS IN ERG I TOWNS', to provide school readiness to children in ERG I towns. REF. EDUCATION
 
Previously proposed bills:
Proposed H.B. No. 5049 REP. JANOWSKI, 56th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING STATE FUNDING OF PREKINDERGARTEN TUITION AT INTERDISTRICT MAGNET SCHOOLS', to modify the education statutes to eliminate the new requirement that local boards of education must pay the tuition cost for prekindergarten education at interdistrict magnet schools. REF. EDUCATION

Proposed H.B. No. 5142 REP. AMAN, 14th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING THE REEMPLOYMENT OF RETIRED TEACHERS', to maintain continuity in the education system. REF. APPROPRIATIONS

Proposed H.B. No. 5144 REP. MUSHINSKY, 85th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING AN APPROPRIATION TO EXPAND THE NURTURING FAMILIES NETWORK PROGRAM', to divert those families most likely to need services from the Department of Children and Families to a successful early intervention program, thereby reducing the total cost to the department per family. REF. SELECT COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN

Proposed H.B. No. 5165 REP. MUSHINSKY, 85th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING THE ADDITION OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND PARENTING SKILLS TO THE HEALTH CURRICULUM', to increase successful parenting and reduce child neglect and abuse through education. REF. EDUCATION

Proposed S.B. No. 1 SEN. WILLIAMS, 29th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING ECONOMIC SECURITY FOR CONNECTICUT FAMILIES', to enhance the economic security of Connecticut families. REF. APPROPRIATIONS

Proposed S.B. No. 53 SEN. FASANO, 34th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING INSTRUCTION IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND PARENTING SKILLS IN SCHOOLS', to provide education on child development and parenting skills in the health and family and consumer sciences curriculums in schools. REF. EDUCATION

Proposed S.B. No. 60 SEN. GAFFEY, 13th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING STATE FUNDING OF SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAMS AND EARLY READING PROGRAMS', to dedicate full funding to existing school readiness programs and reestablish funds for early reading programs in the priority school districts. REF. EDUCATION

Proposed H.B. No. 5204 REP. LEWIS, 8th DIST. 'AN ACT CONCERNING PRESCHOOL READINESS PROGRAMS AT INTERDISTRICT MAGNET SCHOOLS', to eliminate the requirement that towns not participating in an interdistrict magnet school program be responsible for contributing funds to preschool readiness programs offered at such magnet schools. REF. EDUCATION