S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    972
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 5, 2017
                                ___________
 
 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:
   §  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;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD07074-01-7

 S. 972                              2
 
   (j) a representative of the office of mental health;
   (k) a representative of the office for people with developmental disa-
 bilities;
   (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

 S. 972                              3
 
 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
 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.
   § 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:
   § 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.
   §  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.