California Senate Bill SB244 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: SB 244AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 8, 2009 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 1, 2009 AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 20, 2009 AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 4, 2009 AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 31, 2009 INTRODUCED BY Senator Wright (Coauthors: Senators Alquist, Hancock, and Liu) FEBRUARY 24, 2009 An act relating to children's services. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 244, as amended, Wright. Children's services: high-risk children. Existing law establishes the Early Learning Quality Improvement System Advisory Committee, and requires the committee to submit a report containing recommendations for the creation of an Early Learning Quality Improvement System, as specified, to the Legislature and the Governor by December 31, 2010. This bill would require the State Department of Education to conduct a study regarding the feasibility of providing priority enrollment in high-quality child care and development programs for children from birth to 5 years of age who are in the foster care system, in relative care or reunification, or were formerly in the foster care system, who are at risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, are homeless, or have a custodial parent who meets specified criteria. The department would be required to report its findings to the Governor and to appropriate fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature by December 31, 2010. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. (a) The State Department of Education shall conduct a study regarding the feasibility of providing priority enrollment in high-quality child care and development programs for children from birth to five years of age who are in the foster care system, in relative care or reunification, or were formerly in the foster care system, who are at risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, are homeless, or have a custodial parent in the foster care system,  or are  on probation or parole, or in a correctional or residential treatment facility. (b) The department shall report the findings of the study required in subdivision (a) to the Governor and to appropriate fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature by December 31, 2010.