Assembly Bill A4551

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4551
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 4, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. JENSEN -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Education
 
 AN ACT in relation to enacting the "task force on early childhood educa-
   tion  in  public education" to create a task force to study the feasi-
   bility of incorporating younger  age  levels  into  the  state  public
   education system and extending the public education system to start at
   the  age  of six months and incorporate aspects of childcare and early
   childhood education into the existing public education system
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 the "task force on early childhood education in public education".
   § 2. Task force on early  childhood  education  in  public  education;
 establishment  and  duties.  There  is  hereby created the task force on
 early childhood education in public education.  Such  task  force  shall
 study the state of public education, options and challenges for incorpo-
 rating  younger  students  into  the  public  education system, at grade
 levels prior to pre-kindergarten, and examine how the state  can  better
 meet the existing and projected needs of childcare and special education
 for  New  Yorkers at a younger age then is currently provided for in the
 public education system in ways that address educational needs, staffing
 levels and availability, available  resources,  physical  infrastructure
 needs,  and  affordability,  and  enhance  the  quality of education and
 childcare for those above the age of six months.  In  carrying  out  its
 task,  the  task  force shall consider the full continuum of educational
 and childcare services available to  New  Yorkers,  including,  but  not
 limited  to,  community-based  services,  culturally  and linguistically
 relevant education and childcare providers, community  and  school-based
 early  intervention  services  and providers. The task force shall study
 the limitations currently hampering childcare, both  in  home-based  and
 facility-based  settings,  and consider potential models for improvement
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07702-01-5
              

 A. 4551                             2
 
 though incorporation into the public education system. In addition,  the
 task  force  shall  study  the challenges and issues generated by adding
 more students and younger grade levels to the public  education  system,
 including, but not limited to, staffing levels, availability of physical
 space,  costs  to  school  districts,  taxpayers and New York state, and
 other factors that  affect  the  delivery  of  educational  services  to
 students  at  younger ages. The task force shall utilize the findings of
 its study on the impact of early childhood education,  public  education
 and  childcare to determine feasibility and formulate recommendations on
 if and how such incorporation of young age and  grade  levels  into  the
 public  education  system  can  address  concerns  related to access and
 affordability of childcare, educational outcomes of students  throughout
 the continuum of education, and access to early intervention and special
 education services.
   §  3.  Membership.  (a) The task force on early childhood education in
 public education shall consist of 25 members as follows:
   (i) the commissioner of education, or their designee;
   (ii) the commissioner of the office of children and  family  services,
 or their designee;
   (iii)  the  commissioner  of  the office for people with developmental
 disabilities, or their designee;
   (iv) the executive director of the council of children  and  families,
 or their designee;
   (v) the budget director of the division of budget, or their designee;
   (vi) two members appointed by the governor;
   (vii) two members appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
   (viii) two members appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
   (ix) one member appointed by the minority leader of the senate;
   (x) one member appointed by the minority leader of the assembly;
   (xi) one member appointed by the state comptroller;
   (xii)  the chancellor of the New York city department of education, or
 their designee;
   (xiii) one representative of the New  York  state  council  of  school
 superintendents;
   (xiv)  one  representative of the New York state school boards associ-
 ation;
   (xv) one representative of the New York state parent  teacher  associ-
 ation;
   (xvi) one representative of New York state united teachers;
   (xvii) one representative of the united federation of teachers;
   (xviii)   one  representative  of  the  conference  of  big  5  school
 districts;
   (xix) one representative of the early care & learning council;
   (xx) one representative of the New York association for the  education
 of young children;
   (xxi) one representative of the day care council of New York; and
   (xii) one representative of the ECE on the move.
   (b)  Members  of  the  task force shall broadly represent educational,
 early childhood, and childcare interests, including persons with  exper-
 tise  in public education, persons with expertise in addressing dispari-
 ties based on race, ethnicity, and disability in  education  and  child-
 care,  childcare  and  special education service providers, teachers and
 education workers, community-based services, and/or  representatives  of
 public  education, including school administrators, elected school board
 representatives, and parents.
 A. 4551                             3
 
   (c) The commissioner of education, or their designee, shall  serve  as
 chairperson of the task force.
   (d) No member of the task force shall be disqualified from holding any
 other  public  office  or  employment,  nor  shall they forfeit any such
 office or employment by reason of their  appointment  pursuant  to  this
 act,  notwithstanding  the  provisions  of any general, special or local
 law, ordinance or city charter.
   (e) The members of the task force shall receive  no  compensation  for
 their  services but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
 incurred in the performance of their duties pursuant to this act.
   § 4. Assistance from state and local  agencies.  All  departments  and
 agencies  of the state or subdivisions thereof, and local governments of
 this state shall, at the request of the chairperson,  provide  the  task
 force  such  facilities, assistance and data to enable the task force to
 carry out its duties pursuant to this act.
   § 5. Reports. (a) The task force shall  report  the  findings  of  its
 study  with respect to the incorporation of students starting at the age
 of six months in public education to the governor, the temporary  presi-
 dent  of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, minority leader of the
 senate, and minority leader of the assembly  on  or  before  six  months
 after  the  effective date of this act. Such report shall include recom-
 mendations for further action and legislation.
   (b) The task force shall report the findings of its full study to  the
 governor,  the  temporary  president  of  the senate, the speaker of the
 assembly, the minority leader of the senate, and minority leader of  the
 assembly  on  or  before  one year after the effective date of this act.
 Such report shall include recommendations for further action and  legis-
 lation.
   § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.