An Act To Require Coordination of Early Childhood Programs for Children 4 Years of Age in Maine Further amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and before the summary and inserting in its place the following: , Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §4255 is enacted to read: §42SS. Coordinated earlr childhood programs for children 4 rears of age 1. Approval process for early childhood education. Any school administrative unit that wishes to develop an early childhood program for children 4 years of age must submit a proposal for approval to the department. Evaluation of the proposal must include consideration of at least the following factors: A. Demonstrated coordination with other early childhood programs in the community to maximize resources; B. Consideration of the extended child care needs of working parents; and Page I-LR1438(2) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1513
Committee Amendment CA_A_H507 (House)
Amends: 20-A MRSA §4255

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1058, L.D. 1513, 
Act To Require Coordinated Early Childhood Care and 
Education in Maine" 
Bill, "An 
Preschool 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting 
the following: 
'An Act To Require Coordination of Early Childhood Programs for 
Children 4 Years of Age in Maine' 
Further amend the bill by striking out everything after the 
title and before the summary and inserting in its place the 
following: 
, Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §4255 is enacted to read: 
§42SS. Coordinated earlr childhood programs for children 4 rears 
of age 
1. 
Approval 
process 
for early childhood education. 
Any 
school 
administrative unit that wishes 
to 
develop 
an early 
childhood program for children 4 years of age must submit a 
proposal for 
approval 
to the department. 
Evaluation of the 
proposal must include consideration of at least the following 
factors: 
A. 
Demonstrated coordination with other early childhood 
programs in the community to maximize resources; 
B. 
Consideration of 
the 
extended child care 
needs 
of 
working parents; and 
Page I-LR1438(2) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
6.~. 
~. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT I~" to H.P. 1058, L.D. 1513 
c. 
Provision of public notice regarding the proposal to the 
community being served. including the extent to which public 
notice 
has 
been 
disseminated 
broadly 
to 
other 
early 
childhood programs in the community. 
2. Ru1emating. 
The department may adopt rules to implement 
this section. and any rules adopted must include standards for 
early childhood programs for children 4 years of age that are 
developed by school administrative units. 
Rules adopted pursuant 
to this subsection are major substantive rules as defined in 
Title 5. chapter 375. subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 
2. 
Standards. 
The 
Department 
collaboration 
with 
representatives 
of 
programs 
in the State, 
shall establish 
childhood programs for children 4 years 
school administrative units.' 
SUMMARY 
of 
Education, 
in 
the 
early 
childhood 
standards 
for early 
of age developed by 
This amendment strikes and replaces the title of the bill 
and the bill itself to establish that local public schools must 
receive approval from the Department of Education before offering 
so-called 
"early 
kindergarten" 
programs. 
The 
amendment 
accomplishes the following. 
1. 
It requires that the Department of Education approval 
process consider factors related to the needs of families in the 
community 
for 
other 
early 
childhood 
education 
programs 
for 
children 4 years of age, the extent to which public schools have 
demonstrated that they have coordinated with early childhood 
programs for children 4 years of age in the community and the 
prov1s1on of broad public notice regarding the proposed early 
childhood education program for children 4 years of age. 
2. 
It permits the Department of Education to adopt major 
substantive rules for the approval process for early childhood 
programs for children 4 years of age. 
3. 
It also 
requires 
the 
Department 
of 
Education, 
in 
collaboration 
with 
representatives 
of 
the 
early 
childhood 
programs in the State, to establish standards for early childhood 
programs 
for 
children 
years 
of 
age 
developed 
by 
school 
administrative units. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
• 
Approved: 05/19/05 ~ae 
LD 1513 
LR 1438(02) 
An Act To Require Coordinated Early Childhood Care and Preschool Education in Maine 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment Au 
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Additional costs to the Department of Education associated with rulemaking and developing the required standards 
can be absorbed utilizing existing budgeted resources. The costs to local school administrative units who choose to 
develop an early childhood program to prepare the required proposal can not be determined at this time. 
LR1438(2) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1