SB326: (New Title) relative to developing a plan to create the office of early childhood.

SB 326-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

02/16/2022 0640s

2022 SESSION

22-3062

07/05

SENATE BILL 326-FN

AN ACT relative to developing a plan to create the office of early childhood.

SPONSORS: Sen. Whitley, Dist 15; Sen. Hennessey, Dist 1; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. Soucy, Dist 18; Sen. Perkins Kwoka, Dist 21; Sen. Cavanaugh, Dist 16; Sen. Sherman, Dist 24; Sen. Prentiss, Dist 5; Rep. Myler, Merr. 10; Rep. Mullen, Hills. 7; Rep. McWilliams, Merr. 27; Rep. Luneau, Merr. 10

COMMITTEE: Health and Human Services

AMENDED ANALYSIS

This bill directs the commissioner of the department of health and human services, in consultation with the commissioners of the departments of education and administrative services, the office of the child advocate, and the council for thriving children, to develop a plan to create an office of early childhood.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

02/16/2022 0640s 22-3062

07/05

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Two

AN ACT relative to developing a plan to create the office of early childhood.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Statement of Findings and Purpose. The general court finds that:

I. Research across disciplines demonstrates that the early years of children's lives are critical to their healthy brain development, what happens in the earliest years makes a critical difference in children's readiness to succeed in school and life, and the return on investment in early childhood through a lifetime of higher earnings, improved education outcomes, and reduced criminal justice costs is unmatched.

II. The state of New Hampshire currently makes investments in early childhood services and supports, but because services are fragmented across multiple state agencies, and providers lack the supports and incentives needed to improve the quality of services they provide and retain a robust workforce, many parents have difficulty accessing high quality and affordable child care and early learning services.

III. A more cohesive and integrated early childhood system would result in greater efficiencies for the state, increased partnership between the state and the private sector, improved access to high quality and affordable child care and early learning services, and better employment and early learning outcomes for families and children.

IV. On January 23, 2020, the governor issued an executive order creating the council for thriving children and directing the department of health and human services and the department of education to seek to establish a joint office of early childhood care and education that further enables coordination within and across the state early childhood care and education system into local communities.

V. Therefore, it is the goal of New Hampshire to support the work of the council for thriving children, the department of health and human services, and the department of education by creating an office of early childhood to unify and integrate the early childhood system for children and families.

2 Office of Early Childhood Plan. The commissioner of the department of health and human services, in consultation with the commissioner of the department of administrative services, the commissioner of the department of education, the office of the child advocate, and the council for thriving children, shall develop a plan to create the office of early childhood by November 1, 2022. The plan shall be presented to the governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and the president of the senate. The plan shall include: role and duties of the office as well as staffing and costs and in which department where such an office shall be attached. The plan shall further include recommendations on integrated child care, early childhood care and education, childhood development, recommendations for early childhood health, safety, and learning, an early childhood information system to facilitate data sharing, recommendations on the workforce serving young children, an outreach plan for families and service providers, recommendations for kindergarten and school readiness assessment tools, and recommendations for reporting and accountability of the office early childhood programs.

3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.

LBA

22-3062

Amended 3/11/22

SB 326-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE (AMENDMENT #2022-0640s)

AN ACT relative to developing a plan to create the office of early childhood.

FISCAL IMPACT: [ ] State [ ] County [ ] Local [ X ] None

METHODOLOGY:

The Office of the Legislative Budget Assistant states that as amended, this bill will have no fiscal impact.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

Department of Administrative Services and Department of Health and Human Services