HB 1423 — School Readiness Committee; renaming as Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education.

SESSION ENROLLED VIRGINIA ACTS OF ASSEMBLY ––-- 2023 SESSION CHAPTER E8 An Act to amend and reenact § 2.2-208.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the School Readiness membership;Committee;

powersrenaming andas duties.ionCommission on Early Childhood Care and Education;

Rmembership; O [H 1423] L Approved L Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

Epowers 1.and duties.

[H 1423] Approved March 16, 2023 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.

D§ A.2.2-208.1.

InCommission recognitionon of the fact that early care and education of young children is linked to academic success and workforce readiness, the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, and upon receiving recommendations for appointments from the Virginia Education Association, the Virginia School Boards Association, the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals, the Virginia Council for Private Education, the Virginia Child Care Association, the Virginia Association for Early Childhood Education, the Virginia Head Start Association, the Virginia Alliance for Family Child Care Associations, and theEducation. Virginia Chamber of Commerce, shall establHsh and appoint members to the School Readiness Committee (the Committee) Commission on Early 1 recommendations for and tracking progress on the financing of a comprehensive birth-to-five early childhood care and education system as established in § 22.1-289.03 that provides stable, high-quality early childhood care and education services for families who need them the most, empowers parents with choices that meet their needs and preferences, and supports both school readiness and workforce participation.

A.

In recognition of the fact that early care and education of young children is linked to academic success and workforce readiness, the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, and upon receiving recommendations for appointments from the Virginia School Principals, the Virginia Council for Private Education, the Virginia Child Care Association, the Virginia Association for Early Childhood Education, the Virginia Head Start Association, the Virginia Alliance for Family Child Care Associations, and the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, shall establish and appoint members to the School Readiness Committee (the Committee) Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education (the Commission) is hereby established for the purpose of providing recommendations for and tracking progress on the financing of a comprehensive birth-to-five early childhood care and education system as established in § 22.1-289.03 that provides stable, high-quality early childhood care and education services for families who need them the most, empowers parents with choices that meet their needs and preferences, and supports both school readiness and workforce participation.

four five members of the House of Delegates to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates in accordance with the principles of proportional representation contained in the Rules of the House of Delegates;

The Secretary of Education, upon receiving recommendations for appointments from the Virginia Council for Private Education, the Virginia Child Care Association, the Virginia Head Start Association, the Virginia Alliance for Family Child Care Associations, and the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, shall appoint nonlegislative citizen members to the Commission in a manner that ensures representation from each of the nine Ready Regions identified includeby at least three representatives of the office of the Secretary of Education, one representative of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, one representative of a baccalaureate public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth with a teacher education program, one representative of an associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth with a teacher education program, one representative of the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation,Foundation one(Ready representativeRegions). of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, four one representative of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, three executive-level representatives of the private business sector who each represent different Ready Regions, one early childhood education private early childhood education program local government representative recommended by the Virginia Association of Counties and the Virginia Municipal League, one administrator from a public early childhood education program, one administrator from a faith-based private early childhood education program, one administrator from a non-faith-based private early childhood education program, one administrator from a Head Start program, one administrator from a family child care program, one representative from an organization advocating for children with disabilities, and one parent three parents or guardian guardians of a child children who is participating are age-eligible or who were recently age-eligible to participate in early childhood care and education in the Commonwealth, one childhood education program.

TheNonlegislative Commissionercitizen ofmembers Socialshall Servicesinclude orat hisleast designee,three representatives of the office of the Secretary of Education, one representative of the State Council of Higher Education orfor hisVirginia, designee,one representative of a baccalaureate public institution of higher education in the SecretaryCommonwealth with a teacher education program, one representative of Healthan andassociate-degree-granting Humanpublic Resourcesinstitution orof hishigher designee,education and,in the Commonwealth with a teacher education program, one representative of 3the SecretaryVirginia Early Childhood Foundation, one representative of Labor,the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, four one representative of the SuperintendentVirginia Economic Development Partnership, three executive-level representatives of Publicthe Instructionprivate orbusiness hissector designee,who each represent different Ready Regions, one early childhood education teacher from a public early childhood education program, one early childhood education teacher from a private early childhood education program local government representative recommended by the Virginia Association of Counties and the CommissionerVirginia Municipal League, one administrator from a public early childhood education program, one administrator from a faith-based private early childhood education program, one administrator from a non-faith-based private early childhood education program, one administrator from a Head Start program, one administrator from a family child care program, one representative from an organization advocating for children with disabilities, and one parent three parents or guardian guardians of Sociala Services,child children who is participating are age-eligible or theirwho designees,were shallrecently serveage-eligible exto officioparticipate within votingearly privileges.childhood care and education in the Commonwealth, one educator from a public early childhood education program, and one educator from a private early childhood education program.

C.The Commissioner of Social Services or his designee, the Secretary of Education or his designee, the Secretary of Health and Human Resources or his designee, and, the Secretary of Labor, the Superintendent of Public Instruction or his designee, and the Commissioner of Social Services, or their designees, shall serve ex officio with voting privileges.

of 3 C.

The CommitteeCommissionCommission should consider different sources of revenue and establish long-term goals and targets for affordable access to quality care and education for all birth-to-five children in the Commonwealth.

All legislative of 3 members and nonlegislative citizen members may be reappointed.

After the initial staggering of terms, legislative members and nonlegislative citizen Eembersmembers shaF.shall be appointed for terms of three years.

F.

The remainder of any term to which a member is appointed to fill a vacancy shall not of 3 constitute a term in determining the member's eligibility for reappointment.

R G.

The Committee Commission shall elect a chairman and vice-chairman from among its O membership.

The vice-chairman shall be a nonlegislaLivenonlegislative citizen member who is an executive-level representative of the private business sector.

A majority of the fourmembers timesshall perconstitute yeara atquorum. the call of the chairman or whenever the majority of the members so request.

The meetings of the Committee Commission shall be held at least four times per year at the call of the chairman or whenever the majority of the members so request.

Recommendations and other actions by the Commission shall require an affirmative vote Efof a majority of the members of the Commission.

The Virginia Early Childhood Foundation shall provide for the facilitation of the work of the Committee Commission under the direction of the Secretary of Education or his designee and with the guidance of a steering subcommittee committee that includes the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Health and Human Resources Labor, one legislative member, one executive-level representative of the private business sector, one representative of the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, and one early childhood education teacher or administrator from a private early childhood education program parent or guardian of a child who is age-eligible or was recently age-eligible to participate in early childhood care and education in the Commonwealth.

H I.

The chairman may request and access the expertise of additional representatives and 1 organizations relating to the Committee's Commission's goals and priorities.

In order to meet t2ethe federally mandated requirements for early childhood advisory councils, the chairman may establish and appoint additional members to advisory subcommittees to address areas of special concern and priority.

All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Committee, upon requestL.request L.

commission,M. authority, or other agency created by the Commonwealth, or to which the Commonwealth is party, or from any political subdivision of the Commonwealth, cooperation and assistance in the performance of its duties.

The Commission may request and shall receive from every department, division, board, bureau, commission, authority, or other agency created by the Commonwealth, or to which the Commonwealth is party, or from any political subdivision of the Commonwealth, cooperation and assistance in the performance of its duties.

effective3. date of this act.rrent members of the School Readiness Committee shall expire on the

That the terms of the current members of the School Readiness Committee shall expire on the effective date of this act.