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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1080
January Session, 2019
LCO No. 6012
Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES
Introduced by:
(HS)
AN ACT CONCERNING A TWO-GENERATIONAL INITIATIVE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2019) (a) There is established, 1
within the executive branch, a Two-Generational Family Economic 2
Success Cabinet. The cabinet shall work to achieve measurable results 3
for families through coordinated interagency action to (1) drive 4
savings, (2) reduce redundancy, (3) boost impact and (4) advance racial 5
and socio-economic equity. 6
(b) The cabinet shall consist of: (1) The Secretary of the Office of 7
Policy and Management, or the secretary's designee; (2) the 8
Commissioners of Early Childhood, Education, Children and Families, 9
Social Services, Public Health, Economic and Community 10
Development, Administrative Services, Housing, Transportation, 11
Correction, the Labor Commissioner, or each commissioner's designee; 12
and (3) the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and 13
Universities, or the president's designee. The chairperson of the cabinet 14
shall be the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, or the 15
secretary's designee. The cabinet shall meet at least quarterly and 16 Raised Bill No. 1080
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report to the Governor. 17
(c) The cabinet, informed by the recommendations of the advisory 18
board established pursuant to section 17b-112l of the general statutes, 19
as amended by this act, shall: (1) Remove institutional barriers to 20
successful implementation of the two -generational initiative 21
established in section 17b-112l of the general statutes, as amended by 22
this act; (2) share data to facilitate the initiative; (3) coordinate and 23
leverage existing resources to assist families to overcome common 24
barriers to economic success while generating savings for the state; (4) 25
pursue innovative approaches based on input of parents and other 26
community members to increase the impact of the initiative while 27
advancing racial and socio-economic equity; and (5) annually establish 28
shared indicators and goals for interagency collaboration to achieve 29
quantifiable and verifiable systems change to disrupt cycles of 30
intergenerational poverty and advance family economic self-31
sufficiency. Such indicators and goals, may include, but need not be 32
limited to: (A) Improvements to service coordination and delivery 33
across one or more programs for early learning, adult education, child 34
care, housing, job training, transportation, financial literacy, health and 35
mental health services, and (B) efforts to sufficiently support pathways 36
to family-sustaining workforce opportunities. 37
(d) The cabinet shall develop and present a long-term interagency 38
plan to the Governor to further coordinate, align and optimize service 39
delivery of relevant two-generational programs state-wide. Such plan 40
may include, but need not be limited to: (1) State incentives for public 41
and private entities that develop such two-generational programming; 42
(2) streamlined resource, practice and data sharing within and between 43
agencies that serve families; and (3) the development and assessment 44
of two-generational programming outcomes. The cabinet shall file an 45
annual report on its progress in accordance with the provisions of 46
subsection (f) of section 17b-112l of the general statutes, as amended by 47
this act. 48
Sec. 2. Section 17b-112l of the general statutes is repealed and the 49 Raised Bill No. 1080
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following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2019): 50
(a) There is established [an] a two-generational initiative to [foster 51
family economic self-sufficiency in low-income households through a 52
comprehensive two-generational service delivery approach] disrupt 53
cycles of poverty and advance family economic self-sufficiency. The 54
initiative shall [promote systemic change to create conditions across 55
local and state public sector agencies and the private sector] 56
collaborate across public and private sectors to support early 57
childhood care and education, health and workforce readiness and 58
economic self-sufficiency across two generations in the same 59
household. Households may include, but need not be limited to, 60
children and their mothers, fathers, noncustodial parents and other 61
primary caregivers. 62
(b) The Office of Early Childhood shall serve as the two-63
generational initiative's coordinating agency. [for the executive 64
branch.] The initiative may [review and consider] include review and 65
consideration of the following, within available appropriations, [:] to 66
attain family economic mobility and success: 67
(1) [Improvements to the coordination and delivery of] 68
Coordination and delivery of programs that improve access and equity 69
for families. Such programs may include, but need not be limited to, 70
early learning programs, adult education, child care, housing, 71
apprenticeship and job training, transportation, financial literacy, [and 72
other related support services, including, but not limited to,] health 73
and mental health services, and sufficiently supported pathways to 74
family-sustaining workforce opportunities, offered at one location, 75
[wherever] whenever possible; 76
(2) Alignment of [existing state and local support systems around 77
the (A) household, including how to leverage] state and federal 78
resources around the family including the Temporary Assistance for 79
Needy Families block grant funds, and services to equip such 80
[households] families with the tools and skills needed to overcome 81 Raised Bill No. 1080
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obstacles and engage opportunities. [, and (B) the coordinated state-82
wide reading plan for students in kindergarten to grade three, 83
inclusive, developed pursuant to section 10-14v; 84
(3) Development of a long-term plan to coordinate, align and 85
optimize service delivery of relevant programs state wide. Such plan 86
may include, but need not be limited to, (A) the targeted use of 87
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant funds, to the 88
extent permissible under federal law, to support two-generational 89
programming; (B) state incentives for private entities that develop such 90
two-generational programming; (C) streamlined resource, practice and 91
data sharing among and between agencies that serve families involved 92
in the initiative in order to best serve such families; and (D) the 93
development and assessment of two -generational programming 94
outcomes; and 95
(4) Partnerships between state and national philanthropic 96
organizations, as available, to provide support, technical assistance, 97
guidance and best practices to the participating communities in the 98
initiative and the advisory council established pursuant to subsection 99
(d) of this section.] 100
(c) [The] Implementation of the initiative shall foster the 101
comprehensive two-generational service delivery approach for early 102
care and education and workforce readiness in learning communities 103
that may include, but need not be limited to, New Haven, Hartford, 104
East Hartford, West Hartford, Norwalk, Meriden, Windham, Enfield, 105
Waterbury and Bridgeport. The initiative shall be [informed by 106
members of low-income households within these communities and] 107
implemented in partnership with parent and family leaders to 108
determine the priorities and challenges of low-income households. 109
Coordinators of the initiative shall foster a peer-to-peer exchange and 110
technical assistance in best practices between learning communities 111
that shall be shared with the advisory [council] board established 112
pursuant to subsection (d) of this section. The staff of the Commission 113
on Women, Children and Seniors shall serve as the [organizing and] 114 Raised Bill No. 1080
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administrative staff to the learning communities. 115
[(d) A Two-Generational Advisory Council shall be established as 116
part of the initiative to advise the state on how to foster family 117
economic self-sufficiency in low-income households through a 118
comprehensive two-generational service delivery approach for early 119
care and education and workforce readiness. The council shall consist 120
of one member of the General Assembly appointed by the speaker of 121
the House of Representatives, who shall serve as a cochairperson; one 122
member of the Senate appointed by the president pro tempore of the 123
Senate, who shall serve as a cochairperson; one member representing 124
the interests of business or trade organizations appointed by the 125
majority leader of the Senate; one member with expertise on issues 126
concerning health and mental health appointed by the majority leader 127
of the House of Representatives; one member on issues concerning 128
children and families appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; 129
one member of the General Assembly appointed by the minority 130
leader of the House of Representatives; a member of a low-income 131
household selected by the Commission on Women, Children and 132
Seniors; representatives of nonprofit and philanthropic organizations 133
and scholars who are experts in two-generational programs and 134
policies; and other business and academic professionals as needed to 135
achieve goals for two-generational systems planning, evaluations and 136
outcomes selected by the cochairpersons. The Commissioners of Social 137
Services, Early Childhood, Education, Housing, Transportation, Public 138
Health and Correction and the Labor Commissioner, or each 139
commissioner's designee; and the Chief Court Administrator, or the 140
Chief Court Administrator's designee, shall serve as ex-officio 141
members of the advisory council. The staff of the Commission on 142
Women, Children and Seniors shall serve as the organizing and 143
administrative staff of the advisory council. 144
(e) Not later than September 1, 2018, the Two-Generational 145
Advisory Council shall consult with the Office of the Attorney 146
General, the Office of Policy and Management and the Connecticut 147
Preschool through Twenty and Workforce Information Network, 148 Raised Bill No. 1080
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established pursuant to section 10a-57g, to develop a uniform 149
approach among partner agencies in the two-generational initiative to 150
facilitate data sharing in accordance with state and federal law 151
pursuant to subparagraph (C) of subdivision (3) of subsection (b) of 152
this section. 153
(f) Not later than December 31, 2018, the advisory council shall 154
report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint 155
standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of 156
matters relating to education, housing, human services, labor, public 157
health, transportation and appropriations and the budgets of state 158
agencies that includes (1) The challenges and opportunities in working 159
with a parent and child concurrently in a two-generational service 160
delivery model; (2) recommendations to improve systems, policy, 161
culture, program, budget or communications issues among agencies 162
and service providers on the local and state levels to achieve two-163
generational outcomes; (3) recommendations on the elimination of 164
barriers to promote two-generational success; and (4) 165
recommendations concerning improved data sharing developed 166
pursuant to subsection (e) of this section across two-generational 167
initiative partner agencies.] 168
(d) A Two-Generational Advisory Board shall be established as part 169
of the initiative to advise the state, the legislature and the Two-170
Generational Family Economic Success Cabinet, established pursuant 171
to section 1 of this act, on how to foster family economic self-172
sufficiency in low income households through a comprehensive two-173
generational service delivery approach for early child care, education 174
and workforce readiness. The board shall work in partnership with 175
philanthropic organizations, as available, to provide support, technical 176
assistance, guidance and best practices to the participating 177
communities in the initiative designated pursuant to subsection (c) of 178
this section. The board shall consist of (1) one member of the General 179
Assembly appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, 180
who shall serve as a cochairperson; (2) one member of the Senate 181
appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, who shall serve 182 Raised Bill No. 1080
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as a cochairperson; (3) one member representing the interests of 183
business or trade organizations appointed by the majority leader of the 184
Senate; (4) one member with expertise on issues concerning health and 185
mental health appointed by the majority leader of the House of 186
Representatives; (5) one member with expertise on issues concerning 187
children and families appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; 188
(6) one member of the General Assembly appointed by the minority 189
leader of the House of Representatives; (7) representatives of nonprofit 190
and philanthropic organizations and scholars who are experts in two-191
generational programs and policies; (8) parent or family leaders 192
representing low-income households, selected by the Commission on 193
Women, Children and Seniors, who shall constitute one-fourth of the 194
board; and (9) other business and academic professionals as needed to 195
achieve goals for two-generational systems planning, evaluations and 196
outcomes selected by the cochairpersons. The chairperson of the Two-197
Generational Family Economic Success Cabinet, established pursuant 198
to section 1 of this act, or the chairperson's designee, and the Chief 199
Court Administrator, or the Chief Court Administrator's designee, 200
shall serve as ex-officio members of the advisory board. The staff of the 201
Commission on Women, Children and Seniors shall serve as the 202
organizing and administrative staff of the advisory board. 203
(e) Not later than July 1, 2020, pursuant to the advisory authority 204
established in section 3-125, the Office of the Attorney General, in 205
consultation with the Two-Generational Advisory Board, established 206
pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, the Two-Generational Family 207
Economic Success Cabinet, established pursuant to section 1 of this act, 208
the Office of Policy and Management and the Connecticut Preschool 209
through Twenty and Workforce Information Network, established 210
pursuant to section 10a-57g, shall develop a uniform interagency data 211
sharing protocol to remove legal barriers to promote cross-agency and 212
cross-sector collaboration under this section to the fullest extent 213
permitted by state and federal laws. 214
(f) Not later than December 31, 2020, and annually thereafter, the 215
Two-Generational Advisory Board, established pursuant to subsection 216 Raised Bill No. 1080
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(d) of this section, in collaboration with the Two-Generational Family 217
Economic Success Cabinet, established pursuant to section 1 of this act, 218
shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the 219
joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance 220
of matters relating to education, housing, human services, labor, public 221
health, transportation and appropriations and the budgets of state 222
agencies. The report shall include, but need not be limited to: (1) The 223
opportunities and challenges in working with a two-generational 224
service delivery model, and (2) recommendations to (A) develop 225
methods that ensure two-generational initiative approaches are based 226
on continuous feedback from family leaders regarding the priorities 227
and challenges of low-income households; (B) improve systems, 228
policy, culture, program, budget or communications issues among 229
agencies and service providers on the local and state levels to achieve 230
two-generational outcomes; (C) eliminate barriers to two-generational 231
success; and (D) improve data sharing across two-generational 232
initiative agencies. 233
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2019 New section
Sec. 2 July 1, 2019 17b-112l
Statement of Purpose:
To promote family economic success across generations through the
establishment of a cabinet designed to help coordinate services.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline,
except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is
not underlined.]