1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to early childhood education; creating a Department of Early Childhood 
1.3 	Care and Education; requiring a report;proposing coding for new law in 
1.4 	Minnesota Statutes, chapter 4.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [4.046] DEPARTMENT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND 
1.7 	EDUCATION.
1.8 	(a) The Department of Early Childhood Care and Education is established to 
1.9 	coordinate a high-quality early childhood system in Minnesota to make early childhood 
1.10 	care and education more effective and to improve the educational outcomes of children 
1.11 	from birth to kindergarten entrance. The governor shall appoint, and the senate shall 
1.12 	confirm, a commissioner who is a recognized expert in the field of early childhood 
1.13 	care and education who shall facilitate communication and coordinate early childhood 
1.14 	education and child care programs.
1.15 	(b) The commissioner shall coordinate staff efforts to:
1.16 	(1) consolidate and coordinate resources and public funding streams for early 
1.17 	childhood education and child care, and ensure the accountability and coordinated 
1.18 	development of all early childhood education and child care services to children from birth 
1.19 	to kindergarten entrance;
1.20 	(2) create a seamless transition from early childhood programs to kindergarten;
1.21 	(3) encourage family choice by ensuring a mixed system of high-quality public and 
1.22 	private programs, with local points of entry, staffed by well-qualified professionals;
1.23 	(4) ensure parents a decisive role in the planning, operation, and evaluation of 
1.24 	programs that aid families in the care of children;
2.1 	(5) provide consumer education and accessibility to early childhood education 
2.2 	and child care resources;
2.3 	(6) advance the quality of early childhood education and child care programs in order 
2.4 	to support the healthy development of children and preparation for their success in school;
2.5 	(7) develop a seamless service delivery system with local points of entry for early 
2.6 	childhood education and child care programs administered by local, state, and federal 
2.7 	agencies;
2.8 	(8) develop and manage an effective data collection system to support the necessary 
2.9 	functions of a coordinated system of early childhood education and child care in order to 
2.10 	enable accurate evaluation of its impact;
2.11 	(9) respect and be sensitive to family values and cultural heritage; and
2.12 	(10) establish the administrative framework for and promote the development of 
2.13 	early childhood education and child care services in order to provide that these services, 
2.14 	staffed by well-qualified professionals, are available in every community for all families 
2.15 	that express a need for them.
2.16 	(c) The commissioner shall coordinate activities with the State Advisory Council on 
2.17 	Early Childhood Education and Care under section 124D.141.
2.18 	(d) The commissioner shall report to the legislative committees with jurisdiction 
2.19 	over the early childhood education and child care programs by February 1 of each year on 
2.20 	the status of the work required under paragraph (b) and any statutory changes necessary to 
2.21 	improve quality and increase access. The commissioner also shall present to these same 
2.22 	legislative committees by February 1, 2011, a detailed plan, with an implementation 
2.23 	timeline, to colocate state early childhood education and child care assistance programs 
2.24 	and services.

2.25 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

2.26 	Sec. 2. TRANSFER; DUTIES AND STAFF; APPROPRIATIONS.
 2.27 	(a) Responsibilities of the commissioner of education for early childhood education 
2.28 	programs and financing under Minnesota Statutes, sections 119A.50 to 119A.535, 
2.29 	121A.16 to 121A.19, and 124D.129 to 124D.2211, are transferred to the Department 
2.30 	of Early Childhood Care and Education. All positions in the Department of Education 
2.31 	related to early childhood education are transferred to the Department of Early Childhood 
2.32 	Care and Education. Responsibilities of the commissioner of human services for child 
2.33 	care assistance, child care development, and early childhood learning and child protection 
2.34 	facilities programs and financing under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 119B, and Minnesota 
2.35 	Statutes, section 256E.37, are transferred to the Department of Early Childhood Care 
3.1 	and Education. All positions in the Department of Human Services related to child care 
3.2 	assistance, child care development, and early childhood learning and child protection 
3.3 	facilities are transferred to the Department of Early Childhood Care and Education. 
3.4 	Minnesota Statutes, section 15.039, applies to the transfer of the responsibilities in 
3.5 	this section. Responsibilities of the commissioner of health for family home visiting 
3.6 	programs and financing under Minnesota Statutes, section 145A.17, are transferred to the 
3.7 	Department of Early Childhood Care and Education. All positions in the Department of 
3.8 	Health related to family home visiting programs are transferred to the Department of Early 
3.9 	Childhood Care and Education. The department must rely on existing appropriations and 
3.10 	staff for carrying out its duties.
3.11 	(b) The state and federal appropriations for the programs listed in paragraph (a) are 
3.12 	transferred to the Department of Early Childhood Care and Education.