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An Act To Exempt Certain Established Public Prekindergarten Programs from New Regulations
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §4271, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 581, §3, is amended to read:
 
4. Qualifications; rules.   To qualify for a grant under this section, a school administrative unit must submit an implementation plan to the department for the operation of a new or expanded public preschool program. The qualifications established for implementation plans must contain standards and best practices for public preschool programs and must encourage a school administrative unit to demonstrate coordination with other early childhood programs in the community to maximize resources and provide comprehensive services to meet the needs of children 4 years of age in accordance with this subchapter and rules adopted by the commissioner. In awarding grants under this section, the commissioner shall give priority to a qualified school administrative unit that has a greater percentage of economically disadvantaged students as determined pursuant to section 15675, subsection 2 than other qualified school administrative units under this subsection and in accordance with the following order of preference:
 
A. The first preference must be to award grant funds to a qualified school administrative unit that does not operate a public preschool program and that submits a plan for the development and operation of a new public preschool program; and
 
B. The 2nd preference must be to award grant funds to a qualified school administrative unit that operates a public preschool program and that submits a plan for the development and operation of an expanded public preschool program.
 
The commissioner shall adopt rules that establish criteria for the approval of implementation plans and for the awarding of start-up funds for the allowable costs of operating public preschool programs. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection related to standards and best practices for public preschool programs do not apply to public preschool programs that have been in existence for at least 3 years on September 1, 2014. Public preschool programs that have been in existence for at least 3 years on September 1, 2014 are subject to department rules related to standards and best practices for public preschool programs in effect on September 1, 2014. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
 
SUMMARY
This bill exempts public preschool programs in existence for at least 3 years on September 1, 2014 from new Department of Education rules related to standards and best practices for public preschool programs.