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An Act To Establish Universal Public Preschool Programs
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §4501, first ¶, as amended by PL 2013, c. 581, §4, is further amended to read:
In accordance with the policy expressed in section 2, every school administrative unit shall raise annually sufficient funds to maintain or support elementary and secondary schools to provide free education for its resident students at all grade levels. These schools shall meet the requirements of basic school approval. To the extent the State provides adequate start-up funding, a school administrative unit may offer an opportunity for every child 4 years of age residing in the school administrative unit to attend a public preschool program, or a program affiliated with the school administrative unit, meeting the requirements of basic school approval. It is the goal of the State to provide adequate start-up funding to ensure that public preschool programs for children 4 years of age are offered by all school administrative units by the 2018-20192020-2021 school year.
Sec. 2. Development of recommendations; report. In order to meet the goal of ensuring that public preschool programs for children 4 years of age are offered by all school administrative units by the 2020-2021 school year in accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 4501, the Department of Education shall develop recommendations, including recommended legislation, for the implementation of universal public preschool for children 4 years of age. The recommendations must include, but are not limited to:
1. Standards for public preschool programs;
2. A process for approval and certification of programs not operated by a school administrative unit, including, but not limited to, a Head Start program or other program affiliated with the school administrative unit; and
3. Funding for public preschool programs.
No later than January 1, 2020, the Department of Education shall submit a report of its recommendations, including recommended legislation, to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. The joint standing committee may report out legislation to the Second Regular Session of the 129th Legislature to implement the recommendations included in the report.
 
SUMMARY
This bill specifies that it is the goal of the State to ensure that public preschool programs for children 4 years of age are offered by all school administrative units by the 2020-2021 school year. In order to achieve that goal, this bill requires the Department of Education to develop recommendations and report back to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs by January 1, 2020. Recommendations must include:
1. Standards for public preschool programs;
2. A process for approval and certification of programs not operated by a school administrative unit, including, but not limited to, a Head Start program or other program affiliated with the school administrative unit; and
3. Funding for public preschool programs.
The Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs may report out legislation to the Second Regular Session of the 129th Legislature to implement the recommendations in the report.