Substitute Senate Bill No. 1080
Public Act No. 19-78
AN ACT CONCERNING A TWO-GENERATIONAL INITIATIVE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (Effective July 1, 2019) (a) The Secretary of the Office of
Policy and Management, in collaboration with the Two-Generational
Advisory Board established pursuant to section 17b-112l of the general
statutes, as amended by this act, shall develop an interagency plan to
coordinate and align delivery of services to assist families to overcome
barriers to economic success.
(b) The Secretary shall begin to implement the interagency plan not
later than January 1, 2020. The plan shall include, but need not be
limited to: (1) Development of an infrastructure to promote data
sharing within and between state agencies to the extent permissible
under federal and state law; (2) coordination and leverage of existing
resources to assist families to overcome common barriers to economic
success; (3) consideration of innovative approaches based on input of
parents and other community members to increase the impact of the
Two Generational Initiative; and (4) shared indicators and goals for
interagency collaboration to achieve quantifiable and verifiable
systems change to disrupt cycles of intergenerational poverty and
advance family economic self-sufficiency and racial and socio-
economic equity. Such indicators and goals, may include, but need not Substitute Senate Bill No. 1080
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be limited to: (A) Improvements to service and resource coordination
and delivery across one or more programs for early learning, adult
education, child care, housing, job training, transportation, financial
literacy, health and mental health services, and (B) efforts to
sufficiently support pathways to family-sustaining workforce
opportunities.
Sec. 2. Section 17b-112l of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2019):
(a) There is established [an] a two-generational initiative to [foster
family economic self-sufficiency in low-income households through a
comprehensive two-generational service delivery approach] disrupt
cycles of poverty and advance family economic self-sufficiency. The
initiative shall [promote systemic change to create conditions across
local and state public sector agencies and the private sector]
collaborate across public and private sectors to support early
childhood care and education, health and workforce readiness and
economic self-sufficiency across two generations in the same
household. Households may include, but need not be limited to,
children and their mothers, fathers, noncustodial parents and other
primary caregivers.
(b) The Office of Early Childhood shall serve as the two-
generational initiative's coordinating agency. [for the executive
branch.] The initiative may [review and consider] include review and
consideration of the following, within available appropriations, to
attain family economic mobility and success:
(1) [Improvements to the coordination and delivery of ]
Coordination and delivery of programs that improve access to services
and equity in opportunity to achieve family economic success. Such
programs may include, but need not be limited to, early learning
programs, adult education, child care, housing, apprenticeship and job Substitute Senate Bill No. 1080
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training, transportation, financial literacy, [and other related support
services, including, but not limited to,] health and mental health
services, and sufficiently supported pathways to family-sustaining
workforce opportunities, offered at one location, [wherever] whenever
possible; and
(2) Alignment of [existing state and local support systems around
the (A) household, including how to leverage] state and federal
resources around the family including the Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families block grant funds, and services to equip such
[households] families with the tools and skills needed to overcome
obstacles and engage opportunities. [, and (B) the coordinated state-
wide reading plan for students in kindergarten to grade three,
inclusive, developed pursuant to section 10-14v;
(3) Development of a long-term plan to coordinate, align and
optimize service delivery of relevant programs state wide. Such plan
may include, but need not be limited to, (A) the targeted use of
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant funds, to the
extent permissible under federal law, to support two-generational
programming; (B) state incentives for private entities that develop such
two-generational programming; (C) streamlined resource, practice and
data sharing among and between agencies that serve families involved
in the initiative in order to best serve such families; and (D) the
development and assessment of two -generational programming
outcomes; and
(4) Partnerships between state and national philanthropic
organizations, as available, to provide support, technical assistance,
guidance and best practices to the participating communities in the
initiative and the advisory council established pursuant to subsection
(d) of this section.]
(c) [The] Implementation of the initiative shall foster the Substitute Senate Bill No. 1080
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comprehensive two-generational service delivery approach for early
care and education and workforce readiness in learning communities
that may include, but need not be limited to, New Haven, Hartford,
East Hartford, West Hartford, Norwalk, Meriden, Windham, Enfield,
Waterbury and Bridgeport. The initiative shall be [informed by
members of low-income households within these communities and]
implemented in partnership with parent and family leaders to
determine the priorities and challenges of low-income households.
Coordinators of the initiative shall foster a peer-to-peer exchange and
technical assistance in best practices between learning communities
that shall be shared with the advisory [council] board established
pursuant to subsection (d) of this section. The staff of the Commission
on Women, Children and Seniors shall serve as the [organizing and]
administrative staff to the learning communities.
[(d) A Two-Generational Advisory Council shall be established as
part of the initiative to advise the state on how to foster family
economic self-sufficiency in low-income households through a
comprehensive two-generational service delivery approach for early
care and education and workforce readiness. The council shall consist
of one member of the General Assembly appointed by the speaker of
the House of Representatives, who shall serve as a cochairperson; one
member of the Senate appointed by the president pro tempore of the
Senate, who shall serve as a cochairperson; one member representing
the interests of business or trade organizations appointed by the
majority leader of the Senate; one member with expertise on issues
concerning health and mental health appointed by the majority leader
of the House of Representatives; one member on issues concerning
children and families appointed by the minority leader of the Senate;
one member of the General Assembly appointed by the minority
leader of the House of Representatives; a member of a low-income
household selected by the Commission on Women, Children and
Seniors; representatives of nonprofit and philanthropic organizations Substitute Senate Bill No. 1080
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and scholars who are experts in two-generational programs and
policies; and other business and academic professionals as needed to
achieve goals for two-generational systems planning, evaluations and
outcomes selected by the cochairpersons. The Commissioners of Social
Services, Early Childhood, Education, Housing, Transportation, Public
Health and Correction and the Labor Commissioner, or each
commissioner's designee; and the Chief Court Administrator, or the
Chief Court Administrator's designee, shall serve as ex-officio
members of the advisory council. The staff of the Commission on
Women, Children and Seniors shall serve as the organizing and
administrative staff of the advisory council.
(e) Not later than September 1, 2018, the Two-Generational
Advisory Council shall consult with the Office of the Attorney
General, the Office of Policy and Management and the Connecticut
Preschool through Twenty and Workforce Information Network,
established pursuant to section 10a-57g, to develop a uniform
approach among partner agencies in the two-generational initiative to
facilitate data sharing in accordance with state and federal law
pursuant to subparagraph (C) of subdivision (3) of subsection (b) of
this section.
(f) Not later than December 31, 2018, the advisory council shall
report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint
standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of
matters relating to education, housing, human services, labor, public
health, transportation and appropriations and the budgets of state
agencies that includes: (1) The challenges and opportunities in
working with a parent and child concurrently in a two-generational
service delivery model; (2) recommendations to improve systems,
policy, culture, program, budget or communications issues among
agencies and service providers on the local and state levels to achieve
two-generational outcomes; (3) recommendations on the elimination of Substitute Senate Bill No. 1080
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barriers to promote two-generational success; and (4)
recommendations concerning improved data sharing developed
pursuant to subsection (e) of this section across two-generational
initiative partner agencies.]
(d) A Two-Generational Advisory Board shall be established as part
of the initiative to advise the state, the legislature and the Secretary of
the Office of Policy and Management on how to foster family economic
self-sufficiency in low income households through a comprehensive
two-generational service delivery approach for early child care,
education and workforce readiness. The board shall work in
partnership with philanthropic organizations, as available, to provide
support, technical assistance, guidance and best practices to the
participating communities in the initiative designated pursuant to
subsection (c) of this section. The board shall consist of (1) one member
of the General Assembly appointed by the speaker of the House of
Representatives, who shall serve as a cochairperson; (2) one member of
the Senate appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, who
shall serve as a cochairperson; (3) one member representing the
interests of business or trade organizations appointed by the majority
leader of the Senate; (4) one member with expertise on issues
concerning physical and mental health appointed by the majority
leader of the House of Representatives; (5) one member with expertise
on issues concerning children and families appointed by the minority
leader of the Senate; (6) one member of the General Assembly
appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives; (7)
one member appointed by the Governor; (8) representatives of
nonprofit and philanthropic organizations and scholars who are
experts in two-generational programs and policies, including, but not
limited to, at least one such representative and scholar with experience
in developing strategies to achieve racial equity and social justice; (9)
parent or family leaders representing low-income households selected
by the Commission on Women, Children and Seniors, who shall Substitute Senate Bill No. 1080
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constitute one-fourth of the board; and (10) other business and
academic professionals as needed to achieve goals for two -
generational systems planning, evaluations and outcomes selected by
the cochairpersons. The Chief Court Administrator, or the Chief Court
Administrator's designee, shall serve as ex-officio members of the
advisory board. The staff of the Commission on Women, Children and
Seniors shall serve as the organizing and administrative staff of the
advisory board.
(e) Not later than July 1, 2020, pursuant to the advisory authority
established in section 3-125, the Office of the Attorney General, in
consultation with the Two-Generational Advisory Board, the Secretary
of the Office of Policy and Management, the Chief Data Officer
appointed pursuant to section 4-67p and the Connecticut Preschool
through Twenty and Workforce Information Network, established
pursuant to section 10a-57g, shall develop a uniform interagency data
sharing protocol to remove legal barriers to promote cross-agency and
cross-sector collaboration under this section to the fullest extent
permitted under state and federal laws.
(f) Not later than December 31, 2020, and annually thereafter, the
Two-Generational Advisory Board, in consultation with the Secretary
of the Office of Policy and Management, shall file a report, in
accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing
committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters
relating to children, education, housing, human services, labor, public
health, transportation and appropriations and the budgets of state
agencies. The report shall include, but need not be limited to: (1)
Shared indicators and goals for interagency collaboration developed
pursuant to section 1 of this act, (2) improvements in Two -
Generational Initiative service coordination and streamlined resources,
(3) methods of improved family engagement to assure continuous
feedback from family leaders regarding the priorities and challenges of Substitute Senate Bill No. 1080
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low income households, and (4) recommendations to (A) improve
systems, policy, culture, program, budget or communications issues
among agencies and service providers on the local and state levels to
achieve two-generational success; (B) eliminate barriers to two-
generational success; and (C) improve data sharing within and
between agencies to inform systems and policy direction to achieve
family economic success.
(g) Within available appropriations, parent and family participants
of the Two-Generational Initiative may be compensated for time and
travel related to Two-Generational Advisory Board meetings and Two-
Generational Initiative activities related to asset building, leadership
and community engagement.