S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  8228

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            December 23, 2016
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  AVELLA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules

AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to the early child-
  hood advisory council; and to amend a chapter of  the  laws  of  2016,
  amending  the  social  services  law  relating  to codifying the early
  childhood advisory council, as proposed in legislative  bills  numbers
  S.7427-A and A.9902-A, in relation to the effectiveness thereof

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Section 483-g of the social services law,  as  added  by  a
chapter  of  the laws of 2016, amending the social services law relating
to codifying the early childhood advisory council, as proposed in legis-
lative bills numbers S.7427-A  and  A.9902-A,  is  amended  to  read  as
follows:
  S  483-g.  Early childhood advisory council. 1. There is hereby estab-
lished within the council an early childhood advisory council to promote
a comprehensive and high quality early childhood system. Members of  the
early  childhood advisory council shall BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR AND
SHALL include, but not be limited to, to the maximum extent possible:
  (a) a representative of the office of children and family services;
  (b) a representative of the state education department;
  (c) a representative of local educational agencies;
  (d) a representative of institutions of higher education in the state;
  (e) a representative of local providers of early  childhood  education
and development services;
  (f)  a  representative  of  head start agencies, including migrant and
seasonal head start programs and Indian head start programs;
  (g) the director of the head start collaboration office;
  (h) a representative from the department of health;
  (i) a representative of the office of temporary and disability assist-
ance;
  (j) a representative of the office of mental health;
  (k) a representative of the office for people with developmental disa-
bilities;

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                           LBD15090-05-6

S. 8228                             2

  (l) a representative of the empire state development corporation;
  (m) a representative of the division of the budget;
  (n) at least five representatives of the business community; and
  (o) representatives of other entities determined to be relevant by the
governor.
  2. THE GOVERNOR SHALL ALSO DESIGNATE THE TWO CHAIRPERSONS TO THE EARLY
CHILDHOOD ADVISORY COUNCIL.
  3.  The  early  childhood  advisory  council shall, in addition to any
responsibilities assigned by the governor:
  (a) conduct a periodic statewide needs assessment concerning the qual-
ity and  availability  of  early  childhood  education  and  development
programs and services for children from birth to school entry, including
an  assessment  of  the  availability  of  high-quality pre-kindergarten
services for low-income children in the state;
  (b) identify opportunities for, and  barriers  to,  collaboration  and
coordination  among federally funded and state funded child development,
child care, and early childhood education programs and services, includ-
ing collaboration and coordination among state agencies responsible  for
administering such programs;
  (c)  develop  recommendations for increasing the overall participation
of children in existing federal, state, and local child care  and  early
childhood education programs, including outreach to underrepresented and
special populations;
  (d)  develop  recommendations regarding the establishment of a unified
data collection system for public early childhood education and develop-
ment programs and services throughout the state;
  (e) develop recommendations regarding statewide professional  develop-
ment  and  career advancement plans for early childhood educators in the
state;
  (f) assess the capacity and effectiveness of  two-year  and  four-year
public  and private institutions of higher education in the state toward
supporting the development of early childhood educators,  including  the
extent to which such institutions have in place articulation agreements,
professional  development  and career advancement plans, and practice or
internships for students to spend time in a head start or pre-kindergar-
ten program;
  (g) develop and implement strategies  to  engage  business  and  civic
leaders and organizations in early learning planning and advocacy at the
state and local level;
  (h) increase business, civic and public awareness of the importance of
early  childhood  education, including, but not limited to, the distrib-
ution of literature through mail or online, organizing of  meetings  and
events  to  promote  the cost benefit of investments in learning and the
hosting of an annual economic summit on early childhood investment;
  (i) develop recommendations for increasing public-private  investments
in early childhood and strategies for maximizing resources; and
  (j)  make  recommendations  for  improvements  in state early learning
standards and undertake efforts to  develop  high-quality  comprehensive
early learning standards, as appropriate.
  [3.] 4. Members of the early childhood advisory council shall serve on
workgroups  tasked  with  implementing  the  duties required pursuant to
subdivision [two] THREE of this section.  Such workgroups may be  estab-
lished as needed, provided however that there shall be a permanent early
learning  investment  workgroup focused on implementation of, at a mini-
mum, the duties described in paragraphs (g), (h) and (i) of  subdivision
[two] THREE of this section. Membership of the early learning investment

S. 8228                             3

workgroup  shall  include, but not be limited to, representatives of the
business community appointed to the council in accordance with paragraph
(n) of subdivision one of this section.
  [4.]  5.  The early childhood advisory council shall hold public hear-
ings and provide an opportunity for public  comment  on  the  activities
described in subdivision [two] THREE of this section.
  [5.]  6. The early childhood advisory council shall submit a statewide
strategic report addressing  the  activities  described  in  subdivision
[two]  THREE  of  this section to the director of the head start collab-
oration office, the governor, the speaker of the assembly and the tempo-
rary president of the senate. After submission of a statewide  strategic
report,  the early childhood advisory council shall meet periodically to
review any implementation of the recommendations in such report and  any
changes in state and local needs.
  S  2.  Section 2 of a chapter of the laws of 2016, amending the social
services law relating to codifying the early childhood advisory council,
as proposed in legislative  bills  numbers  S.7427-A  and  A.9902-A,  is
amended to read as follows:
  S  2.  This  act  shall  take effect immediately, PROVIDED THAT ON THE
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS ACT INCUMBENT MEMBERS AND CO-CHAIRS OF THE  EARLY
CHILDHOOD  ADVISORY  COUNCIL SHALL CONTINUE TO SERVE IN THEIR RESPECTIVE
ROLES.
  S 3. This act shall take effect on the  same  date  and  in  the  same
manner  as  a  chapter of the laws of 2016, amending the social services
law relating to codifying  the  early  childhood  advisory  council,  as
proposed  in  legislative  bills  numbers  S.7427-A  and A.9902-A, takes
effect.