An Act To Establish Universal Public Preschool Programs
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1043
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: KORNFIELD, MILLETT, BRENNAN, DAUGHTRY, DODGE, FARNSWORTH, MASTRACCIO, PIERCE, SCHNECK
Amends: 20-A MRSA §4501

Legislative Document
No. 1043
H.P. 773
House of Representatives, February 28, 2019
An Act To Establish Universal Public Preschool Programs
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative KORNFIELD of Bangor.
Cosponsored by Senator MILLETT of Cumberland and
Representatives: BRENNAN of Portland, DAUGHTRY of Brunswick, DODGE of Belfast, 
FARNSWORTH of Portland, MASTRACCIO of Sanford, McCREIGHT of Harpswell, 
PIERCE of Falmouth, SCHNECK of Bangor.
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 2018-2019 2020-2021 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.