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

                                  3197

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             March 12, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. VALESKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Children and Families

AN ACT to amend the social services law, in  relation  to  enacting  the
  CyberStart program

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

  Section 1. Legislative intent. The state of New York  recognizes  that
every child should have access to the power of the interactive tools and
technology, regardless of their economic situation, no matter what their
race or ethnicity, whether they live in the inner city or a rural commu-
nity.  Every  young  child  in New York state should have the ability to
learn and develop with the greatest ease and speed.
  Access to computers will provide New York's children  the  ability  to
use  interactive  technology to communicate with parents, child day care
providers, and each other as they learn and play,  create  and  exercise
their  imaginations.  CyberStart  provides  families  and child day care
providers with the tools children need to develop their thinking  abili-
ties, while gaining a headstart to succeed in the digital economy of the
twenty-first century.
  This vision is the foundation for CyberStart, an initiative to develop
and  make  available free web-based learning and thinking tools to every
pre-school child in New York. More than  a  program,  CyberStart  is  an
essential building block to bridge the gap between computer and technol-
ogy  haves  and  have-nots that will continue to widen and undermine our
children's ability to succeed, unless we address it now.
  CyberStart  empowers  children  to  learn,  develop  and  explore.  It
empowers parents to take action and make positive choices in their chil-
dren's education. It empowers child day care providers with professional
cognitive teaching tools that will reinforce their valuable contribution
to  our children's knowledge base. It empowers the community by bringing
people together to help create an environment that provides our children

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD05111-01-9
              

S. 3197                             2

with a positive attitude toward learning and education.  Ultimately,  it
will  empower  companies  through  a smarter, better-educated and better
prepared work force. The CyberStart program will help New York become  a
stronger  force  in  the ever-expanding digital economy that will define
the twenty-first century economy.
  S 2. The social services law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new  section
410-cccc to read as follows:
  S  410-CCCC. CYBERSTART GRANTS FOR CHILD DAY CARE. 1. THE COMMISSIONER
OF THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES MAY MAKE GRANTS  AVAILABLE
TO  DAY  CARE  CENTERS  THAT ARE LICENSED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION TWO OF
SECTION THREE HUNDRED NINETY OF THIS ARTICLE FOR THE PURPOSE OF  PROVID-
ING  COMPUTERS AND INTERNET ACCESS. SUCH GRANTS SHALL BE USED TO PROVIDE
A DAY CARE CENTER WITH A COMPUTER SYSTEM.
  EACH GRANT SHALL INCLUDE THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH A COMPUTER  SYSTEM,
INCLUDING:
  A. A COMPUTER,
  B. A MONITOR,
  C. INTERNET FILTERING SOFTWARE,
  D. A COLOR PRINTER, AND
  E. FUNDING TO PROVIDE INTERNET SERVICE FOR ONE YEAR.
  2.  NOT  LATER  THAN  THIRTY  DAYS  AFTER  THE  EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS
SECTION, THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY  SERVICES
MAY  DEVELOP AND SEND TO EACH OF ITS LICENSED DAY CARE CENTERS A REQUEST
FOR APPLICATION TO THE CYBERSTART PROGRAM.
  3. IF THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES MAKES  GRANTS  AVAIL-
ABLE  PURSUANT  TO THIS SECTION, THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE OF CHIL-
DREN AND FAMILY SERVICES SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE  GOVERNOR,  TEMPO-
RARY  PRESIDENT  OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY NOT LATER
THAN DECEMBER THIRTY-FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TEN ON  THE  IMPLEMENTATION  OF
THIS  PROGRAM.    SUCH  REPORT  SHALL INCLUDE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF GRANTS
AWARDED.
  S 3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately,
any  rule and regulation necessary for the timely implementation of this
act on its effective date may be promulgated on or before such date.