State Development Updates: July 19, 2002

Legislation adopted (signed/approved by Governor)
between May 1-July 26, 2002

RESOURCE AND REFERRAL: PROVIDER REGISTRY

Arizona: HB 2213
Established that the statewide child care resource and referral system should maintain a child care home provider registry. The registry should contain information about the licensure, certification, and registration status of home providers, including a tracking system for complaints concerning providers and their written responses. Signed by Governor on May 20, 2002. CALCULATION OF ENROLLMENT

California: SB 508
This bill specifies that when the average daily enrollment of preschool and child care programs is used to determine the amount of funds allocated to local education agencies, the preschool and child care programs are required to be operated by local education agencies under contract with the Child Development Division of the State Department of Education. The method for determining the average daily enrollment of children served in preschool and child care programs is revised. Approved by Governor on May 15, 2002. LITERACY SERVICES

Colorado: HB 1304
This legislation authorized the Summer School Grant Program to provide funding to school districts for the operation of intensive literacy and reading comprehension education services to first grade students who scored at an unsatisfactory level on the reading readiness assessment. Previously, this grant program was only for children preparing to enter the fourth and fifth grades. The services are provided to eligible students during the summer prior to beginning first grade. Grant monies for services to children entering first grade are only available to schools that have a full-day kindergarten educational program. Signed by Governor on May 28, 2002. SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAM

Colorado: HB 1297
This legislation creates the School-readiness Child Care Subsidization Program. Three-year school readiness subsidies can be awarded to child care programs and providers that are licensed, participate in the Community Consolidated Child Care Pilots, and have a child enrollment, at least half of which is children from low income families. Counties applying for these funds must have one or more neighborhood elementary schools that received an overall academic performance rating of "low" or "unsatisfactory;" submit a three-year school-readiness plan; and have their child care facilities participate in a school-readiness ratings system. The program will be funded with the federal Child Care and Development Fund-$440,493 was appropriated in the bill. Signed by Governor on June 7, 2002. LICENSING AND REGULATION

Delaware: SB 233
The legislation requires that all child care centers operating part of the day be licensed. Previously, only those centers operating part of the day with 12 or fewer children had to be licensed. Signed by Governor on June 13, 2002.

Iowa: SB 2205
This bill changes the terminology of family child care homes. Family child care homes (five or fewer children) are called "child care homes," and group child care homes (6 or more children) are called "child development homes." Replaces existing statute language for the required registration of child development homes. New rules will be adopted by the Iowa Department of Public Health and include three ranked categories of standards, "A, " "B, " and "C." The "C" registration category standards will require the highest level of provider qualifications and allow the greatest number of children. Providers will be registered according to the highest level achieved, but must meet per-child space requirements to serve the largest number of children. This bill also changes the period in which child care center licenses are valid, from one year to 24 months. Signed by Governor on May 2, 2002.

Tennessee: SB 2380
This legislation applies the state board of education's child care standards to programs operated by private schools. Transfers the regulation of early childhood programs in private schools from the Department of Department of Human Services to the Department of Education. Signed by Governor on May 22, 2002. LICENSING: PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Florida: SB 1550
This legislation was included in the state developments from April 19, 2002 and at that time its status was Enrolled. It was signed by the Governor on June 5, 2002. PRE-KINDERGARTEN

Georgia: HB 97
The bill requires that the pre-kindergarten program administered by the Office of School Readiness be known as "Georgia's Pre-K Program." All printed materials created on and after July 1, 2002 shall refer to the program by this name. Signed by Governor on May 14, 2002. TEACHERS: RETIREMENT BENEFITS

Georgia: HB 765
This bill related to service creditable toward retirement benefits under the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia, so as to provide that any member of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia may obtain creditable service under the retirement system for any period between January 1, 1977, and December 31, 1980, during which the member was employed by a nonprofit corporation under contract with a state agency in an early childhood program wholly or partially funded by a state or federal grant and during which period the member held a four-year degree from an accredited college or university. Signed by Governor on May 16, 2002. TAX CREDIT

Louisiana: HB 238
The bill extends the suspension of the individual income tax credit for child care expenses to January 1, 2006. The new law revises the child care tax credit to provide that an individual who claims a federal child care tax credit may receive a state tax credit based upon the following percentages:

Federal Adjusted Gross Income and Percentage of Federal Credit:

$25,000 or less: 50%
$25,001 to $35,000: 30%
$35,001 to $60,000: 10%
Over $60,000: Lesser of $25 or 10% of federal credit

The new law also provides that the credit shall be refundable for resident individuals whose federal adjusted gross income is equal to or less than $25,000. Signed by Governor on June 16, 2002. DEFINITION OF CHILD CARE

Illinois: HB 3662
This bill changes the state's definition of a "day care center" to exclude "private entities on the grounds of public or private elementary or secondary schools and the serve children who have attained the age of 3 years." Approved by Governor on July 16, 2002. EARLY INTERVENTION

Maryland: SB 419 "Maryland Infants and Toddlers Act of 2002"
This legislation establishes the Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program in the Maryland State Department of Education. The purpose of the program is to provide a statewide, community-based interagency system of comprehensive early intervention services to eligible infants and toddlers, birth through age 2, and their families. Signed by the Governor on May 6, 2002. KINDERGARTEN

Maryland: SB 856 "Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act"
This legislation requires that each county board of education provide full-day kindergarten to all students by the 2007-2008 school year. Also, by the 2007-2008 school year, all eligible children shall be admitted free of charge to publicly funded pre-kindergarten programs established by each of the county boards. Signed by Governor on May 6, 2002.

Rhode Island: SB 7342
This bill changes the age of eligibility for kindergarten to attaining five years of age on or before September 1 of the school year. Previously, the date of eligibility was December 31. The act takes effect on January 1, 2004. Effective without Governor's signature on June 28, 2002. HEAD START

Oklahoma: SB 1212
The legislation authorizes any school district to operate as a grantee of the federal Head Start program. For the purposes of calculating state aid, a school district may not count any child enrolled in or teacher employed by a Head Start program operated by the district for the portion of the day federal Head Start funds or state funds appropriated for Head Start programs are received. Signed by Governor on June 5, 2002.