LCO No. 3207 1 of 43 General Assembly Committee Bill No. 1 February Session, 2022 LCO No. 3207 Referred to Committee on EDUCATION Introduced by: (ED) AN ACT CONCERNING CHILDHOOD MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH SERVICES IN SCHOOLS. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened: Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) Not later than January 1, 1 2023, and annually thereafter, the Commissioner of Education shall, 2 within available appropriations, develop and distribute a survey to each 3 local and regional board of education concerning the employment of 4 school social workers and school psychologists by such local or regional 5 board of education. Such survey shall include, but need not be limited 6 to, (1) the total number of school social workers employed by each local 7 or regional board of education, (2) the total number of school 8 psychologists employed by each local or regional board of education, (3) 9 the number of school social workers assigned to each school under the 10 jurisdiction of the local or regional board of education, including 11 whether any such school social worker is assigned solely to that school 12 or whether such school social worker is assigned to multiple schools, (4) 13 the number of school psychologists assigned to each school under the 14 jurisdiction of the local or regional board of education, including 15 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 2 of 43 whether any such school psychologist is assigned solely to that school 16 or whether such school psychologist is assigned to multiple schools, (5) 17 the geographic area covered by any such school social worker who 18 provides services to more than one local or regional board of education, 19 (6) the geographic area covered by any such school psychologist who 20 provides services to more than one local or regional board of education, 21 (7) an estimate of the annual number of students who have received 22 direct services from each individual school social worker employed by 23 a local or regional board of education during the five-year period 24 preceding completion of the survey, and (8) an estimate of the annual 25 number of students who have received direct services from each 26 individual school psychologist employed by a local or regional board of 27 education during the five-year period preceding completion of the 28 survey. 29 (b) For the school year commencing July 1, 2022, and each school year 30 thereafter, each local and regional board of education shall annually 31 complete the survey developed and distributed pursuant to subsection 32 (a) of this section to the commissioner, and submit such completed 33 survey to the commissioner, at such time and in such manner as the 34 commissioner prescribes. 35 (c) Following the receipt of a completed survey from a local or 36 regional board of education, the commissioner shall annually calculate 37 (1) a student-to-school social worker ratio for (A) such board of 38 education, and (B) each school under the jurisdiction of such board of 39 education, and (2) a student-to-school psychologist ratio for (A) such 40 board of education, and (B) each school under the jurisdiction of such 41 board of education. 42 (d) Not later than January 1, 2023, and annually thereafter, the 43 commissioner shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions 44 of section 11-4a of the general statutes, on the results of the survey 45 completed under this section and the student-to-school social worker 46 ratios and student-to-school psychologist ratios calculated pursuant to 47 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 3 of 43 subsection (c) of this section, to the joint standing committees of the 48 General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education 49 and children. 50 Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2022) (a) For the fiscal years ending 51 June 30, 2023, to June 30, 2025, inclusive, the Department of Education 52 shall administer a grant program to provide grants to local and regional 53 boards of education for the purpose of hiring and retaining additional 54 school social workers and school psychologists. For purposes of this 55 section, "school social worker" means a person who holds a professional 56 educator certificate issued by the State Board of Education pursuant to 57 section 10-145b of the general statutes, with a school social worker 58 endorsement. 59 (b) Applications for grants pursuant to subsection (a) of this section 60 shall be filed with the Commissioner of Education at such time and in 61 such manner as the commissioner prescribes. As part of the application, 62 an applicant shall submit a (1) plan for the expenditure of grant funds, 63 and (2) copy of the completed survey described in section 1 of this act. 64 Such plan shall include, but need not be limited to, the number of 65 additional school social workers or school psychologists to be hired, the 66 number of school social workers or school psychologists being retained 67 who were previously hired with the assistance of grant funds awarded 68 under this section, whether such school social workers and school 69 psychologists will be conducting assessments of students or providing 70 services to students based on the results of assessments, and the type of 71 services that will be provided by such school social workers and school 72 psychologists. 73 (c) In determining whether to award an applicant a grant under this 74 section, the commissioner shall give priority to those school districts (1) 75 with large student-to-school social worker ratios or student-to-school 76 psychologist ratios, or (2) that have a high volume of student utilization 77 of mental health services. 78 (d) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, the commissioner may 79 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 4 of 43 award a grant to an applicant and shall determine the amount of the 80 grant award based on the plan submitted by such applicant pursuant to 81 subsection (b) of this section. The commissioner shall pay a grant to each 82 grant recipient in each of the fiscal years ending June 30, 2023, to June 83 30, 2025, inclusive, as follows: (1) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, 84 the amount of the grant shall be as determined by the commissioner 85 under this subsection; (2) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, the 86 amount of the grant shall be the same amount as the grant awarded for 87 the prior fiscal year; and (3) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, the 88 amount of the grant shall be seventy per cent of the amount of the grant 89 awarded for the prior fiscal year. 90 (e) Grant recipients shall file annual expenditure reports with the 91 department at such time and in such manner as the commissioner 92 prescribes. Grant recipients shall refund to the department (1) any 93 unexpended amounts at the close of the fiscal year in which the grant 94 was awarded, and (2) any amounts not expended in accordance with 95 the plan for which such grant application was approved. 96 (f) (1) The department shall annually track and calculate the 97 utilization rate of the grant program for each grant recipient. Such 98 utilization rate shall be calculated using metrics that include, but need 99 not be limited to, the number of students served and the hours of service 100 provided using grant funds awarded under the program. 101 (2) The department shall annually calculate the return on investment 102 for the grant program using the expenditure reports filed pursuant to 103 subsection (e) of this section and the utilization rates calculated 104 pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection. 105 (g) For purposes of carrying out the provisions of this section, the 106 Department of Education may accept funds from private sources or any 107 state agency, gifts, grants and donations, including, but not limited to, 108 in-kind donations. 109 (h) (1) Not later than January 1, 2024, and each January first thereafter 110 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 5 of 43 until and including January 1, 2026, the commissioner shall submit a 111 report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general 112 statutes, on the utilization rate for each grant recipient and the return on 113 investment for the grant program, calculated pursuant to subsection (f) 114 of this section, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly 115 having cognizance of matters relating to education and children. 116 (2) Not later than January 1, 2026, the Commissioner of Education 117 shall develop recommendations concerning (A) whether such grant 118 program should be extended and funded for the fiscal year ending June 119 30, 2026, and each fiscal year thereafter, and (B) the amount of the grant 120 award under the program. The commissioner shall submit such 121 recommendations, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of 122 the general statutes, to the joint standing committees of the General 123 Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education and 124 children. 125 Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2022) (a) The State Board of Education, 126 upon the request of a local or regional board of education or a regional 127 educational service center, may issue a human services permit to any 128 applicant with specialized training, experience or expertise in social 129 work, human services, psychology or sociology. Such permit shall 130 authorize a person to be employed by a local or regional board of 131 education or a regional educational service center and to provide mental 132 health and human services to students. Such applicant shall (1) hold a 133 bachelor's degree in social work, human services, psychology, sociology 134 or other equivalent subject area from an institution of higher education 135 accredited by the Board of Regents for Higher Education or Office of 136 Higher Education or regionally accredited, and (2) have a minimum of 137 four years of work experience in such subject areas, or one year of work 138 experience and two years of specialized schooling in such subject areas. 139 (b) Each such human services permit shall be valid for three years 140 and may be renewed by the Commissioner of Education for good cause 141 upon the request of the superintendent of schools for the district 142 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 6 of 43 employing such person or the regional educational service center 143 employing such person. 144 Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2022) Not later than July 1, 2023, the 145 Department of Education, in collaboration with the governing authority 146 for intramural and interscholastic athletics, shall develop a mental 147 health plan for student athletes to raise awareness of mental health 148 resources available to student athletes. Such plan shall be made 149 available to local and regional boards of education and implemented in 150 accordance with the provisions of section 5 of this act. Such plan shall 151 include, but need not be limited to, provisions relating to (1) access to 152 the mental health services team for the school district, (2) screening and 153 recognizing appropriate referrals for student athletes, (3) 154 communication among members of the mental health services team, (4) 155 the management of medications of student athletes, (5) crisis 156 intervention services, (6) the mitigation of risk to student athletes, and 157 (7) transition care for those student athletes leaving intramural or 158 interscholastic athletics by means of graduation, dismissal or 159 suspension. The department shall make such plan available on its 160 Internet web site and provide technical assistance to local and regional 161 boards of education in the implementation of the plan. 162 Sec. 5. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2022) For the school year commencing 163 July 1, 2023, and each school year thereafter, each local and regional 164 board of education shall implement the mental health plan for student 165 athletes, developed pursuant to section 4 of this act, for the school 166 district. 167 Sec. 6. Section 10-212a of the general statutes is repealed and the 168 following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 169 (a) (1) A school nurse or, in the absence of such nurse, any other nurse 170 licensed pursuant to the provisions of chapter 378, including a nurse 171 employed by, or providing services under the direction of a local or 172 regional board of education at, a school-based health clinic, who shall 173 administer medical preparations only to students enrolled in such 174 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 7 of 43 school-based health clinic in the absence of a school nurse, the principal, 175 any teacher, licensed athletic trainer, licensed physical or occupational 176 therapist employed by a school district, or coach of intramural and 177 interscholastic athletics of a school may administer, subject to the 178 provisions of subdivision (2) of this subsection, medicinal preparations, 179 including such controlled drugs as the Commissioner of Consumer 180 Protection may, by regulation, designate, to any student at such school 181 pursuant to the written order of a physician licensed to practice 182 medicine, or a dentist licensed to practice dental medicine in this or 183 another state, or an optometrist licensed to practice optometry in this 184 state under chapter 380, or an advanced practice registered nurse 185 licensed to prescribe in accordance with section 20-94a, or a physician 186 assistant licensed to prescribe in accordance with section 20-12d, and the 187 written authorization of a parent or guardian of such child. The 188 administration of medicinal preparations by a nurse licensed pursuant 189 to the provisions of chapter 378, a principal, teacher, licensed athletic 190 trainer, licensed physical or occupational therapist employed by a 191 school district, or coach shall be under the general supervision of a 192 school nurse. No such school nurse or other nurse, principal, teacher, 193 licensed athletic trainer, licensed physical or occupational therapist 194 employed by a school district, coach or school paraprofessional 195 administering medication pursuant to this section shall be liable to such 196 student or a parent or guardian of such student for civil damages for 197 any personal injuries that result from acts or omissions of such school 198 nurse or other nurse, principal, teacher, licensed athletic trainer, 199 licensed physical or occupational therapist employed by a school 200 district, coach or school paraprofessional administering medication 201 pursuant to this section in administering such preparations that may 202 constitute ordinary negligence. This immunity does not apply to acts or 203 omissions constituting gross, wilful or wanton negligence. 204 (2) Each local and regional board of education that allows a school 205 nurse or, in the absence of such nurse, any other nurse licensed pursuant 206 to the provisions of chapter 378, including a nurse employed by, or 207 providing services under the direction of a local or regional board of 208 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 8 of 43 education at, a school-based health clinic, who shall administer medical 209 preparations only to students enrolled in such school-based health clinic 210 in the absence of a school nurse, the principal, any teacher, licensed 211 athletic trainer, licensed physical or occupational therapist employed by 212 a school district, coach of intramural and interscholastic athletics or 213 school paraprofessional of a school to administer medicine or that 214 allows a student to possess, self-administer or possess and self-215 administer medicine, including medicine administered through the use 216 of an asthmatic inhaler or an automatic prefilled cartridge injector or 217 similar automatic injectable equipment, shall adopt written policies and 218 procedures, in accordance with this section and the regulations adopted 219 pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, that shall be approved by the 220 school medical advisor, if any, or other qualified licensed physician. 221 Once so approved, such administration of medication shall be in 222 accordance with such policies and procedures. 223 (3) A director of a school readiness program as defined in section 10-224 16p, as amended by this act, or a before or after school program exempt 225 from licensure by the Department of Public Health pursuant to 226 subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section 19a-77, or the director's 227 designee, may administer medications to a child enrolled in such a 228 program in accordance with regulations adopted by the State Board of 229 Education in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54. No 230 individual administering medications pursuant to this subdivision shall 231 be liable to such child or a parent or guardian of such child for civil 232 damages for any personal injuries that result from acts or omissions of 233 such individual in administering such medications which may 234 constitute ordinary negligence. This immunity shall not apply to acts or 235 omissions constituting gross, wilful or wanton negligence. 236 (b) Each school wherein any controlled drug is administered under 237 the provisions of this section shall keep such records thereof as are 238 required of hospitals under the provisions of subsections (f) and (h) of 239 section 21a-254 and shall store such drug in such manner as the 240 Commissioner of Consumer Protection shall, by regulation, require. 241 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 9 of 43 (c) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the 242 Commissioner of Public Health, shall adopt regulations, in accordance 243 with the provisions of chapter 54, determined to be necessary by the 244 board to carry out the provisions of this section, including, but not 245 limited to, regulations that (1) specify conditions under which a coach 246 of intramural and interscholastic athletics may administer medicinal 247 preparations, including controlled drugs specified in the regulations 248 adopted by the commissioner, to a child participating in such intramural 249 and interscholastic athletics, (2) specify conditions and procedures for 250 the administration of medication by school personnel to students, 251 including, but not limited to, (A) the conditions and procedures for the 252 storage and administration of epinephrine by school personnel to 253 students for the purpose of emergency first aid to students who 254 experience allergic reactions and who do not have a prior written 255 authorization for the administration of epinephrine, in accordance with 256 the provisions of subdivision (2) of subsection (d) of this section, and (B) 257 the conditions and procedures for the storage and administration of 258 opioid antagonists by school personnel to students who experience an 259 opioid-related drug overdose and who do not have a prior written 260 authorization for the administration of an opioid antagonist, in 261 accordance with the provisions of subdivision (1) of subsection (g) of 262 this section, and (3) specify conditions for the possession, self-263 administration or possession and self-administration of medication by 264 students, including permitting a child diagnosed with: (A) Asthma to 265 retain possession of an asthmatic inhaler at all times while attending 266 school for prompt treatment of the child's asthma and to protect the 267 child against serious harm or death provided a written authorization for 268 self-administration of medication signed by the child's parent or 269 guardian and an authorized prescriber is submitted to the school nurse; 270 and (B) an allergic condition to retain possession of an automatic 271 prefilled cartridge injector or similar automatic injectable equipment at 272 all times, including while attending school or receiving school 273 transportation services, for prompt treatment of the child's allergic 274 condition and to protect the child against serious harm or death 275 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 10 of 43 provided a written authorization for self-administration of medication 276 signed by the child's parent or guardian and an authorized prescriber is 277 submitted to the school nurse. The regulations shall require 278 authorization pursuant to: (i) The written order of a physician licensed 279 to practice medicine in this or another state, a dentist licensed to practice 280 dental medicine in this or another state, an advanced practice registered 281 nurse licensed under chapter 378, a physician assistant licensed under 282 chapter 370, a podiatrist licensed under chapter 375, or an optometrist 283 licensed under chapter 380; and (ii) the written authorization of a parent 284 or guardian of such child. 285 (d) (1) (A) With the written authorization of a student's parent or 286 guardian, and (B) pursuant to the written order of a qualified medical 287 professional, a school nurse and a school medical advisor, if any, may 288 jointly approve and provide general supervision to an identified school 289 paraprofessional to administer medication, including, but not limited to, 290 medication administered with a cartridge injector, to a specific student 291 with a medically diagnosed allergic condition that may require prompt 292 treatment in order to protect the student against serious harm or death. 293 (2) A school nurse or, in the absence of a school nurse, a qualified 294 school employee shall maintain epinephrine in cartridge injectors for the 295 purpose of emergency first aid to students who experience allergic 296 reactions and do not have a prior written authorization of a parent or 297 guardian or a prior written order of a qualified medical professional for 298 the administration of epinephrine. A school nurse or a school principal 299 shall select qualified school employees to administer such epinephrine 300 under this subdivision, and there shall be at least one such qualified 301 school employee on the grounds of the school during regular school 302 hours in the absence of a school nurse. A school nurse or, in the absence 303 of such school nurse, such qualified school employee may administer 304 such epinephrine under this subdivision, provided such administration 305 of epinephrine is in accordance with policies and procedures adopted 306 pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. Such administration of 307 epinephrine by a qualified school employee shall be limited to situations 308 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 11 of 43 when the school nurse is absent or unavailable. No qualified school 309 employee shall administer such epinephrine under this subdivision 310 unless such qualified school employee annually completes the training 311 program described in section 10-212g. The parent or guardian of a 312 student may submit, in writing, to the school nurse and school medical 313 advisor, if any, that epinephrine shall not be administered to such 314 student under this subdivision. 315 (3) In the case of a student with a medically diagnosed life-316 threatening allergic condition, (A) with the written authorization of 317 such student's parent or guardian, and (B) pursuant to the written order 318 of a qualified medical professional, such student may possess, self-319 administer or possess and self-administer medication, including, but 320 not limited to, medication administered with a cartridge injector, to 321 protect such student against serious harm or death. 322 (4) For purposes of this subsection, (A) "cartridge injector" means an 323 automatic prefilled cartridge injector or similar automatic injectable 324 equipment used to deliver epinephrine in a standard dose for 325 emergency first aid response to allergic reactions, (B) "qualified school 326 employee" means a principal, teacher, licensed athletic trainer, licensed 327 physical or occupational therapist employed by a school district, coach 328 or school paraprofessional, and (C) "qualified medical professional" 329 means (i) a physician licensed under chapter 370, (ii) an optometrist 330 licensed to practice optometry under chapter 380, (iii) an advanced 331 practice registered nurse licensed to prescribe in accordance with 332 section 20-94a, or (iv) a physician assistant licensed to prescribe in 333 accordance with section 20-12d. 334 (e) (1) With the written authorization of a student's parent or 335 guardian, and (2) pursuant to a written order of the student's physician 336 licensed under chapter 370 or the student's advanced practice registered 337 nurse licensed under chapter 378, a school nurse or a school principal 338 shall select, and a school nurse shall provide general supervision to, a 339 qualified school employee to administer medication with injectable 340 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 12 of 43 equipment used to administer glucagon to a student with diabetes that 341 may require prompt treatment in order to protect the student against 342 serious harm or death. Such authorization shall be limited to situations 343 when the school nurse is absent or unavailable. No qualified school 344 employee shall administer medication under this subsection unless (A) 345 such qualified school employee annually completes any training 346 required by the school nurse and school medical advisor, if any, in the 347 administration of medication with injectable equipment used to 348 administer glucagon, (B) the school nurse and school medical advisor, 349 if any, have attested, in writing, that such qualified school employee has 350 completed such training, and (C) such qualified school employee 351 voluntarily agrees to serve as a qualified school employee. For purposes 352 of this subsection, "injectable equipment used to administer glucagon" 353 means an injector or injectable equipment used to deliver glucagon in 354 an appropriate dose for emergency first aid response to diabetes. For 355 purposes of this subsection, "qualified school employee" means a 356 principal, teacher, licensed athletic trainer, licensed physical or 357 occupational therapist employed by a school district, coach or school 358 paraprofessional. 359 (f) (1) (A) With the written authorization of a student's parent or 360 guardian, and (B) pursuant to the written order of a physician licensed 361 under chapter 370 or an advanced practice registered nurse licensed 362 under chapter 378, a school nurse and a school medical advisor, if any, 363 shall select, and a school nurse shall provide general supervision to, a 364 qualified school employee to administer antiepileptic medication, 365 including by rectal syringe, to a specific student with a medically 366 diagnosed epileptic condition that requires prompt treatment in 367 accordance with the student's individual seizure action plan. Such 368 authorization shall be limited to situations when the school nurse is 369 absent or unavailable. No qualified school employee shall administer 370 medication under this subsection unless (i) such qualified school 371 employee annually completes the training program described in 372 subdivision (2) of this subsection, (ii) the school nurse and school 373 medical advisor, if any, have attested, in writing, that such qualified 374 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 13 of 43 school employee has completed such training, (iii) such qualified school 375 employee receives monthly reviews by the school nurse to confirm such 376 qualified school employee's competency to administer antiepileptic 377 medication under this subsection, and (iv) such qualified school 378 employee voluntarily agrees to serve as a qualified school employee. For 379 purposes of this subsection, "qualified school employee" means a 380 principal, teacher, licensed athletic trainer, licensed physical or 381 occupational therapist employed by a school district, coach or school 382 paraprofessional. 383 (2) The Department of Education, in consultation with the School 384 Nurse Advisory Council, established pursuant to section 10-212f, and 385 the Association of School Nurses of Connecticut, shall develop an 386 antiepileptic medication administrating training program. Such training 387 program shall include instruction in (A) an overview of childhood 388 epilepsy and types of seizure disorders, (B) interpretation of individual 389 student's emergency seizure action plan and recognition of individual 390 student's seizure activity, (C) emergency management procedures for 391 seizure activity, including administration techniques for emergency 392 seizure medication, (D) when to activate emergency medical services 393 and postseizure procedures and follow-up, (E) reporting procedures 394 after a student has required such delegated emergency seizure 395 medication, and (F) any other relevant issues or topics related to 396 emergency interventions for students who experience seizures. 397 (g) (1) A school nurse or, in the absence of a school nurse, a qualified 398 school employee may maintain opioid antagonists for the purpose of 399 emergency first aid to students who experience an opioid-related drug 400 overdose and do not have a prior written authorization of a parent or 401 guardian or a prior written order of a qualified medical professional for 402 the administration of such opioid antagonist. A school nurse or a school 403 principal shall select qualified school employees to administer such 404 opioid antagonist under this subdivision, and there shall be at least one 405 such qualified school employee on the grounds of the school during 406 regular school hours in the absence of a school nurse. A school nurse or, 407 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 14 of 43 in the absence of such school nurse, such qualified school employee may 408 administer such opioid antagonist under this subdivision, provided 409 such administration of the opioid antagonist is in accordance with 410 policies and procedures adopted pursuant to subsection (a) of this 411 section. Such administration of an opioid antagonist by a qualified 412 school employee shall be limited to situations when the school nurse is 413 absent or unavailable. No school nurse or qualified school employee 414 shall administer such opioid antagonist under this subdivision unless 415 such school nurse or qualified school employee completes a training 416 program in the distribution and administration of an opioid antagonist 417 developed by the Department of Education, Department of Public 418 Health and the Department of Consumer Protection, or under an 419 agreement entered into pursuant to section 21a-286, as amended by this 420 act. The parent or guardian of a student may submit a request, in 421 writing, to the school nurse and school medical advisor, if any, that an 422 opioid antagonist shall not be administered to such student under this 423 subdivision. 424 (2) Not later than October 1, 2022, the Department of Education, in 425 consultation with the Departments of Consumer Protection and Public 426 Health, shall develop guidelines for use by local and regional boards of 427 education on the storage and administration of opioid antagonists in 428 schools in accordance with the provisions of this subsection. 429 (3) For purposes of this subsection, (A) "opioid antagonist" means 430 naloxone hydrochloride or any other similarly acting and equally safe 431 drug approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for the 432 treatment of a drug overdose, (B) "qualified school employee" means a 433 principal, teacher, licensed athletic trainer, licensed physical or 434 occupational therapist employed by a school district, coach or school 435 paraprofessional, and (C) "qualified medical professional" means (i) a 436 physician licensed under chapter 370, (ii) an optometrist licensed to 437 practice optometry under chapter 380, (iii) an advanced practice 438 registered nurse licensed to prescribe in accordance with section 20-94a, 439 or (iv) a physician assistant licensed to prescribe in accordance with 440 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 15 of 43 section 20-12d. 441 Sec. 7. Section 21a-286 of the general statutes is repealed and the 442 following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2022): 443 (a) For purposes of this section: 444 (1) "Opioid antagonist" shall have the meaning set forth in section 445 17a-714a. 446 (2) "Prescribing practitioner" shall have the meaning set forth in 447 section 20-14c. 448 (3) "Pharmacist" shall have the meaning set forth in section 20-609a. 449 (b) A prescribing practitioner or a pharmacist certified to prescribe 450 naloxone pursuant to section 20-633c may enter into an agreement with 451 a law enforcement agency, emergency medical service provider, 452 government agency, [or] community health organization or local or 453 regional board of education related to the distribution and 454 administration of an opioid antagonist for the reversal of an opioid 455 overdose. The prescribing practitioner or pharmacist shall provide 456 training to persons who will distribute or administer the opioid 457 antagonist pursuant to the terms of the agreement. Persons other than 458 the prescribing practitioner or pharmacist shall receive training in the 459 distribution or administration of opioid antagonists prior to distributing 460 or administering an opioid antagonist. The agreement shall address the 461 storage, handling, labeling, recalls and recordkeeping of opioid 462 antagonists by the law enforcement agency, emergency medical service 463 provider, government agency, [or] community health organization or 464 local or regional board of education which is party to the agreement. 465 (c) A prescribing practitioner or pharmacist who enters into an 466 agreement pursuant to subsection (b) of this section shall not be liable 467 for damages in a civil action or subject to administrative or criminal 468 prosecution for the administration or dispensing of an opioid antagonist 469 by such law enforcement agency, emergency medical service provider, 470 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 16 of 43 government agency, [or] community health organization or local or 471 regional board of education. 472 (d) The Commissioner of Consumer Protect ion may adopt 473 regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to 474 implement the provisions of this section. 475 Sec. 8. (Effective July 1, 2022) For the school year ending July 1, 2022, 476 the Department of Consumer Protection, in collaboration with the 477 Department of Education, shall provide information to local and 478 regional boards of education regarding where such boards can acquire 479 opioid antagonists, as defined in section 10-212a of the general statutes, 480 as amended by this act, including the name and contact information of 481 any manufacturer of opioid antagonists that is providing such opioid 482 antagonists at no cost to school districts. 483 Sec. 9. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2022) (a) There is established a minority 484 teacher candidate scholarship program administered by the 485 Department of Education, in consultation with the Office of Higher 486 Education. The program shall provide an annual scholarship to 487 minority students who (1) graduated from a public high school in a 488 priority school district, as described in section 10-266p of the general 489 statutes, and (2) are enrolled in a teacher preparation program at any 490 four-year institution of higher education. Maximum grants shall not 491 exceed twenty thousand dollars per year. The department shall ensure 492 that at least fifty per cent of the scholarship recipients are men. 493 (b) Not later than January 1, 2023, the department shall develop a 494 policy concerning the administration of the scholarship. Such policy 495 shall include, but need not be limited to, provisions regarding (1) any 496 additional eligibility criteria, (2) payment and distribution of the 497 scholarships, and (3) the notification of students in high school in 498 priority school districts of the scholarship program. 499 (c) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2024, and each fiscal year 500 thereafter, the department shall award scholarships in accordance with 501 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 17 of 43 the provisions of this section and the guidelines developed pursuant to 502 section (b) of this section. 503 (d) The Department of Education may accept gifts, grants and 504 donations, from any source, public or private, for the minority teacher 505 candidate scholarship program. 506 Sec. 10. (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section: 507 (1) "Ableism" means the bias, prejudice or discrimination, intentional 508 or unintentional, against people with physical, psychiatric or 509 intellectual disabilities; and 510 (2) "Social-emotional learning" has the same meaning as provided in 511 section 10-222v of the general statutes. 512 (b) There is established a task force to combat ableism. The task force 513 shall identify (1) current efforts to educate all students on disability and 514 combat ableism in the public school curriculum and classrooms, and (2) 515 opportunities to expand such efforts and integrate them into social-516 emotional learning. 517 (c) The task force shall consist of the following members: 518 (1) Two appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, 519 one of whom is an educator employed by a local or regional board of 520 education and one of whom is a leader in social-emotional learning who 521 works with children; 522 (2) Two appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one of 523 whom works as a special education teacher and one of whom is a 524 member of the social and emotional learning and school climate 525 advisory collaborative established pursuant to section 10-222q of the 526 general statutes; 527 (3) One appointed by the majority leader of the House of 528 Representatives who is a school administrator employed by a local or 529 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 18 of 43 regional board of education; 530 (4) One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate who is a 531 chairperson of a local or regional board of education; 532 (5) One appointed by the minority leader of the House of 533 Representatives who is a director or employee of a private nonprofit 534 organization in the state that provides services or programs for children 535 with disabilities; 536 (6) One appointed by the minority leader of the Senate who is a 537 director or employee of a private nonprofit organization in the state that 538 provides disability-related services or programs for children; 539 (7) The Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee; 540 (8) The Commissioner of Early Childhood, or the commissioner's 541 designee; 542 (9) The Commissioner of Children and Families, or the 543 commissioner's designee; 544 (10) The Chief Court Administrator, or the Chief Court 545 Administrator's designee; and 546 (11) The director of Special Education Equity for Kids of Connecticut, 547 or the director's designee. 548 (d) Any member of the task force appointed under subdivision (1), 549 (2), (3), (4), (5) or (6) of subsection (c) of this section may be a member of 550 the General Assembly. 551 (e) All initial appointments to the task force shall be made not later 552 than thirty days after the effective date of this section. Any vacancy shall 553 be filled by the appointing authority. 554 (f) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro 555 tempore of the Senate shall select the chairpersons of the task force from 556 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 19 of 43 among the members of the task force. Such chairpersons shall schedule 557 the first meeting of the task force, which shall be held not later than sixty 558 days after the effective date of this section. 559 (g) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the 560 General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children 561 shall serve as administrative staff of the task force. 562 (h) Not later than January 1, 2023, the task force shall submit a report 563 on its findings and recommendations to the joint standing committee of 564 the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children 565 and education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the 566 general statutes. The task force shall terminate on the date that it 567 submits such report or January 1, 2023, whichever is later. 568 Sec. 11. (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a task force to 569 study the governance structure and internal procedures of the 570 Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference. Such study shall 571 include, but need not be limited to, an examination of the leadership 572 structure of the conference and how leadership positions are filled, and 573 how the conference receives and resolves complaints filed by members 574 of the conference and individuals. 575 (b) The task force shall consist of the following members: 576 (1) One appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, 577 who has expertise in coaching; 578 (2) One appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, who 579 has expertise in sports management; 580 (3) One appointed by the majority leader of the House of 581 Representatives, who is a coach for a member of the Connecticut 582 Interscholastic Athletic Conference; 583 (4) One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, who is an 584 athletic director for a school district that is a member of the Connecticut 585 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 20 of 43 Interscholastic Athletic Conference; 586 (5) One appointed by the minority leader of the House of 587 Representatives, who is an administrator at a school that is a member of 588 the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference; 589 (6) One appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, who is a 590 parent of a student athlete for a school that is a member of the 591 Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference; and 592 (7) The director of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic 593 Conference, or the director's designee. 594 (c) Any member of the task force appointed under subdivision (1), 595 (2), (3), (4), (5) or (6) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member 596 of the General Assembly. 597 (d) All initial appointments to the task force shall be made not later 598 than thirty days after the effective date of this section. Any vacancy shall 599 be filled by the appointing authority. 600 (e) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro 601 tempore of the Senate shall select the chairpersons of the task force from 602 among the members of the task force. Such chairpersons shall schedule 603 the first meeting of the task force, which shall be held not later than sixty 604 days after the effective date of this section. 605 (f) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the 606 General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education 607 shall serve as administrative staff of the task force. 608 (g) Not later than January 1, 2023, the task force shall submit a report, 609 in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, 610 on its findings and recommendations to the joint standing committee of 611 the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to 612 education. The task force shall terminate on the date that it submits such 613 report or January 1, 2023, whichever is later. 614 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 21 of 43 Sec. 12. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2022) (a) As used in this section: 615 (1) "School readiness program" has the same meaning as provided in 616 section 10-16p of the general statutes, as amended by this act; and 617 (2) "Competitive municipality" means, for the fiscal year ending June 618 30, 2024, a municipality that is among the lowest fifty municipalities 619 when ranked by wealth, as determined by the Commissioner of Early 620 Childhood, and for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, a municipality 621 that is among the lowest one hundred municipalities when ranked by 622 wealth, as determined by the commissioner. 623 (b) For the fiscal year ending July 1, 2023, and each fiscal year 624 thereafter, the Commissioner of Early Childhood shall coordinate with 625 local and regional school readiness councils to conduct needs 626 assessments for infant, toddler and preschool spaces in school readiness 627 programs throughout the state. The commissioner shall use the results 628 of such needs assessments to increase or adjust the number of infant, 629 toddler and preschool spaces in school readiness programs to meet the 630 need or demand of each community and to provide grants under section 631 10-16p of the general statutes, as amended by this act, in accordance 632 with subsections (c) to (e), inclusive, of this section. 633 (c) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, the commissioner shall 634 increase or adjust the number of infant, toddler and preschool spaces, in 635 accordance with the needs assessments conducted pursuant to 636 subsection (b) of this section, in priority school districts, as described in 637 section 10-266p of the general statutes. The commissioner shall provide 638 grants under section 10-16p of the general statutes, as amended by this 639 act, to accomplish such increase or adjustment in such spaces. 640 (d) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2025, and June 30, 2026, the 641 commissioner shall increase or adjust the number of infant, toddler and 642 preschool spaces, in accordance with the needs assessments conducted 643 pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, in competitive municipalities. 644 The commissioner shall provide grants under section 10-16p of the 645 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 22 of 43 general statutes, as amended by this act, to accomplish such increase or 646 adjustment in such spaces. 647 (e) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, and each fiscal year 648 thereafter, the commissioner shall increase or adjust the number of 649 infant, toddler and preschool spaces, in accordance with the needs 650 assessments conducted pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, for 651 each community throughout the state. The commissioner shall provide 652 grants under section 10-16p of the general statutes, as amended by this 653 act, to accomplish such increase or adjustment in such spaces. 654 Sec. 13. Subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section 10-16q of the 655 general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 656 thereof (Effective July 1, 2022): 657 (b) (1) [For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, the per child cost of 658 the Office of Early Childhood school readiness program offered by a 659 school readiness provider shall not exceed eight thousand nine hundred 660 twenty-seven dollars.] For the fiscal year ending June 30, [2021] 2023, 661 and each fiscal year thereafter, the per child cost of the Office of Early 662 Childhood school readiness program offered by a school readiness 663 provider shall not exceed [nine thousand twenty-seven dollars] (A) 664 sixteen thousand dollars for each child three years of age or under who 665 is in infant or toddler care and not in a preschool program, and (B) 666 fourteen thousand five hundred dollars for each child three years of age 667 or older who is in a preschool program. 668 Sec. 14. Section 10-16p of the 2022 supplement to the general statutes 669 is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 670 1, 2022): 671 (a) As used in sections 10-16o to 10-16r, inclusive, as amended by this 672 act, 10-16u, 17b-749a and 17b-749c: 673 (1) "School readiness program" means a [nonsectarian] program that 674 (A) meets the standards set by the Office of Early Childhood pursuant 675 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 23 of 43 to subsection (b) of this section and the requirements of section 10-16q, 676 as amended by this act, and (B) provides a developmentally appropriate 677 learning experience of not less than four hundred fifty hours and one 678 hundred eighty days for eligible children, except as provided in 679 subsection (d) of section 10-16q; 680 (2) "Eligible children" means children three and four years of age and 681 children five years of age who are not eligible to enroll in school 682 pursuant to section 10-15c, or who are eligible to enroll in school and 683 will attend a school readiness program pursuant to section 10-16t; 684 (3) "Priority school" means a school in which forty per cent or more 685 of the lunches served are served to students who are eligible for free or 686 reduced price lunches pursuant to federal law and regulations, 687 excluding such a school located in a priority school district pursuant to 688 section 10-266p or in a former priority school district receiving a grant 689 pursuant to subsection (c) of this section and, on and after July 1, 2001, 690 excluding such a school in a transitional school district receiving a grant 691 pursuant to section 10-16u; 692 (4) "Severe need school" means a school in a priority school district 693 pursuant to section 10-266p or in a former priority school district in 694 which forty per cent or more of the lunches served are served to students 695 who are eligible for free or reduced price lunches; 696 (5) "Accredited" means accredited by the National Association for the 697 Education of Young Children, National Association for Family Child 698 Care, a Head Start on-site program review instrument or a successor 699 instrument pursuant to federal regulations, or otherwise meeting such 700 criteria as may be established by the commissioner, unless the context 701 otherwise requires; 702 (6) "Year-round" means fifty weeks per year, except as provided in 703 subsection (d) of section 10-16q; 704 (7) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Early Childhood; 705 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 24 of 43 (8) "Office" means the Office of Early Childhood; 706 (9) "Seeking accreditation" means a school readiness program seeking 707 accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young 708 Children, National Association for Family Child Care or a Head Start 709 on-site program review instrument or successor instrument pursuant to 710 federal regulations, or attempting to meet criteria as may be established 711 by the commissioner; and 712 (10) "Concentration in early childhood education" means a program 713 of study in early childhood education, including, but not limited to, 714 early childhood education, child study, child development or human 715 growth and development. 716 (b) (1) The office shall be the lead agency for school readiness. For 717 purposes of this section and section 10-16u, school readiness program 718 providers eligible for funding from the office shall include local and 719 regional boards of education, regional educational service centers, 720 family resource centers and providers of child care centers, group child 721 care homes and family child care homes, as described in section 19a-77, 722 as amended by this act, Head Start programs, preschool programs and 723 other programs that meet any standards established by the 724 commissioner. The office shall establish standards for school readiness 725 programs. The standards may include, but need not be limited to, 726 guidelines for staff-child interactions, curriculum content, including 727 preliteracy development, lesson plans, parental involvement, staff 728 qualifications and training, transition to school and administration. The 729 office shall develop age-appropriate developmental skills and goals for 730 children attending such programs. The commissioner, in consultation 731 with the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, 732 the Commissioners of Education and Social Services and other 733 appropriate entities, shall develop a professional development program 734 for the staff of school readiness programs. 735 (2) For purposes of this section: 736 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 25 of 43 (A) Prior to July 1, 2022, "staff qualifications" means that for each 737 early childhood education program accepting state funds for infant, 738 toddler and preschool spaces associated with such program's child care 739 program or school readiness program, there is in each classroom an 740 individual who has at least the following: (i) A childhood development 741 associate credential or an equivalent credential issued by an 742 organization approved by the commissioner and twelve credits or more 743 in early childhood education or child development, as determined by 744 the commissioner or the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and 745 Universities, after consultation with the commissioner, from an 746 institution of higher education (I) accredited by the Board of Regents for 747 Higher Education or Office of Higher Education, and (II) regionally 748 accredited; (ii) an associate degree with twelve credits or more in early 749 childhood education or child development, as determined by the 750 commissioner or the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and 751 Universities, after consultation with the commissioner, from such an 752 institution; (iii) a four-year degree with twelve credits or more in early 753 childhood education or child development, as determined by the 754 commissioner or the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and 755 Universities, after consultation with the commissioner, from such an 756 institution; (iv) certification pursuant to section 10-145b with an 757 endorsement in early childhood education or special education; (v) an 758 associate degree with a concentration in early childhood education from 759 an institution of higher education that is regionally accredited; or (vi) a 760 bachelor's degree with a concentration in early childhood education 761 from an institution of higher education that is regionally accredited; 762 (B) From July 1, 2022, until June 30, 2025, "staff qualifications" means 763 that for each early childhood education program accepting state funds 764 for infant, toddler and preschool spaces associated with such program's 765 child care program or school readiness program, (i) at least fifty per cent 766 of those individuals with the primary responsibility for a classroom of 767 children (I) hold certification pursuant to section 10-145b with an 768 endorsement in early childhood education or early childhood special 769 education, (II) have been issued an early childhood teacher credential, 770 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 26 of 43 pursuant to section 10-520b, (III) hold at least an associate degree with a 771 concentration in early childhood education from an institution of higher 772 education that is regionally accredited, or (IV) satisfy the requirements 773 of subdivision (3), (4) or (5) of this subsection, and (ii) such remaining 774 individuals with the primary responsibility for a classroom of children 775 hold a childhood development associate credential or an equivalent 776 credential issued by an organization approved by the commissioner and 777 twelve credits or more in early childhood education or child 778 development, as determined by the commissioner or the president of 779 the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, after consultation with 780 the commissioner, from an institution of higher education (I) accredited 781 by the Board of Regents for Higher Education or Office of Higher 782 Education, and (II) regionally accredited; 783 (C) From July 1, 2025, until June 30, 2029, "staff qualifications" means 784 that for each early childhood education program accepting state funds 785 for infant, toddler and preschool spaces associated with such program's 786 child care program or school readiness program, (i) at least fifty per cent 787 of those individuals with the primary responsibility for a classroom of 788 children (I) hold certification pursuant to section 10-145b with an 789 endorsement in early childhood education or early childhood special 790 education, (II) have been issued an early childhood teacher credential, 791 pursuant to subdivision (2) of section 10-520b, (III) hold at least a 792 bachelor's degree with a concentration in early childhood education 793 from an institution of higher education that is regionally accredited, or 794 (IV) satisfy the requirements of subdivision (3), (4) or (5) of this 795 subsection, and (ii) such remaining individuals with the primary 796 responsibility for a classroom of children (I) hold an associate degree 797 with a concentration in early childhood education from an institution of 798 higher education that is regionally accredited, or (II) have been issued 799 an early childhood teacher credential, pursuant to subdivision (1) of 800 section 10-520b; and 801 (D) On and after July 1, 2029, "staff qualifications" means that for each 802 early childhood education program accepting state funds for infant, 803 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 27 of 43 toddler and preschool spaces associated with such program's child care 804 program or school readiness program, one hundred per cent of those 805 individuals with the primary responsibility for a classroom of children 806 (i) hold certification pursuant to section 10-145b with an endorsement in 807 early childhood education or early childhood special education, (ii) have 808 been issued an early childhood teacher credential, pursuant to 809 subdivision (2) of section 10-520b, (iii) hold at least a bachelor's degree 810 with a concentration in early childhood education from an institution of 811 higher education that is regionally accredited, or (iv) satisfy the 812 requirements of subdivision (3), (4) or (5) of this subsection. 813 (3) Any individual with a bachelor's degree in early childhood 814 education or child development or a bachelor's degree and twelve 815 credits or more in early childhood education or child development, 816 who, on or before June 30, 2015, is employed by an early childhood 817 education program that accepts state funds for infant, toddler and 818 preschool spaces associated with such program's child care program or 819 school readiness program shall be considered to meet the staff 820 qualifications required under subparagraphs (B) to (D), inclusive, of 821 subdivision (2) of this subsection. No such early childhood education 822 program shall terminate any such individual from employment for 823 purposes of meeting the staff qualification requirements set forth in 824 subparagraph (B), (C) or (D) of subdivision (2) of this subsection. 825 (4) Any individual with an associate degree or a bachelor's degree in 826 early childhood education or child development or an associate degree 827 or a bachelor's degree and twelve credits or more in early childhood 828 education or child development from an institution of higher education 829 that is regionally accredited, other than an associate degree or a 830 bachelor's degree with a concentration in early childhood education, 831 may submit documentation concerning such degree for review and 832 assessment by the office as to whether such degree has a sufficient 833 concentration in early childhood education so as to satisfy the 834 requirements set forth in subparagraphs (B) to (D), inclusive, of 835 subdivision (2) of this subsection. 836 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 28 of 43 (5) Any individual with an associate degree with twelve credits or 837 more in early childhood education or child development, as determined 838 by the commissioner or the president of the Connecticut State Colleges 839 and Universities, after consultation with the commissioner, from an 840 institution of higher education (A) accredited by the Board of Regents 841 for Higher Education or Office of Higher Education, and (B) regionally 842 accredited, who has been employed in the same early childhood 843 education program that accepts state funds for infant, toddler and 844 preschool spaces associated with such program's child care program or 845 school readiness program since 1995 shall be considered to meet the staff 846 qualifications required under subparagraphs (B) to (D), inclusive, of 847 subdivision (2) of this subsection until June 30, 2025. On and after July 848 1, 2025, such individual shall hold a childhood development associate 849 credential or an equivalent credential, described in subparagraph (A) of 850 subdivision (2) of this subsection, or otherwise meet the staff 851 qualifications required under subparagraphs (C) and (D) of subdivision 852 (2) of this subsection. Any such individual who terminates his or her 853 employment with such early childhood education program on or before 854 June 30, 2025, and accepts a position at another early childhood 855 education program accepting state funds for spaces associated with 856 such program's child care program or school readiness program shall 857 submit documentation of such individual's progress toward meeting 858 the staff qualification requirements set forth in subparagraph (B) to (D), 859 inclusive, of subdivision (2) of this subsection in a manner determined 860 by the office. 861 (c) The commissioner shall establish a grant program to provide 862 spaces in accredited school readiness programs located in priority 863 school districts, as described in section 10-266p, or in former priority 864 school districts for eligible children. The state, acting by and in the 865 discretion of the Commissioner of Early Childhood, in consultation with 866 a town or regional school readiness council, may enter into a contract 867 with a municipality, local or regional board of education, regional 868 educational service center, family resource center, provider of a child 869 care center, group child care home or family child care home, as 870 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 29 of 43 described in section 19a-77, as amended by this act, Head Start program, 871 preschool program or other program that meets such standards 872 established by the commissioner, to provide, within available 873 appropriations, state financial assistance. Eligibility shall be determined 874 for a five-year period based on an applicant's designation as a priority 875 school district for the initial year of application, except that if a school 876 district that receives a grant pursuant to this subsection is no longer 877 designated as a priority school district at the end of such five-year 878 period, such former priority school district shall continue to be eligible 879 to receive a grant pursuant to this subsection. Grant awards shall be 880 made annually contingent upon available funding and a satisfactory 881 annual evaluation. The chief elected official of such town and the 882 superintendent of schools for such priority school district or former 883 priority school district shall submit a plan for the expenditure of grant 884 funds and responses to the local request for proposal process to the 885 commissioner. The commissioner shall review and approve such plans. 886 The plan shall: (1) Be developed in consultation with the local or 887 regional school readiness council established pursuant to section 10-16r, 888 as amended by this act; (2) be based on a needs and resource assessment; 889 (3) provide for the issuance of requests for proposals for providers of 890 accredited school readiness programs, provided, after the initial 891 requests for proposals, facilities that have been approved to operate a 892 child care program financed through the Connecticut Health and 893 Education Facilities Authority and have received a commitment for debt 894 service from the Department of Social Services, pursuant to section 17b-895 749i, on or before June 30, 2014, and on or after July 1, 2014, from the 896 office, are exempt from the requirement for issuance of annual requests 897 for proposals; and (4) identify the need for funding pursuant to section 898 17b-749a in order to extend the hours and days of operation of school 899 readiness programs in order to provide child care services for children 900 attending such programs. 901 (d) (1) The commissioner shall establish a competitive grant program 902 to provide spaces in accredited school readiness programs or school 903 readiness programs seeking accreditation located in (A) an area served 904 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 30 of 43 by a priority school or a former priority school, (B) a town ranked one 905 to fifty when all towns are ranked in ascending order according to town 906 wealth, as defined in subdivision (26) of section 10-262f, whose school 907 district is not a priority school district pursuant to section 10-266p, (C) a 908 town formerly a town described in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision, 909 as provided for in subdivision (2) of this subsection, or (D) a town 910 designated as an alliance district, as defined in section 10-262u, whose 911 school district is not a priority school district pursuant to section 10-912 266p. A town in which a priority school is located, a regional school 913 readiness council, pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-16r, as 914 amended by this act, for a region in which such a school is located or a 915 town described in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision may apply for 916 such a grant in an amount equal to the number of spaces in an accredited 917 school readiness program or a school readiness program seeking 918 accreditation multiplied by the per child cost set forth in subdivision (1) 919 of subsection (b) of section 10-16q, as amended by this act. Eligibility 920 shall be determined for a three-year period based on an applicant's 921 designation as having a priority school or being a town described in 922 subparagraph (B) of this subdivision for the initial year of application. 923 The state, acting by and in the discretion of the Commissioner of Early 924 Childhood, in consultation with a town or regional school readiness 925 council, may enter into a contract with a municipality, local or regional 926 board of education, regional educational service center, family resource 927 center, provider of a child care center, group child care home or family 928 child care home, as described in section 19a-77, as amended by this act, 929 Head Start program, preschool program or other program that meets 930 such standards established by the commissioner, to provide, within 931 available appropriations, state financial assistance. The chief elected 932 official of such town and the superintendent of schools of the school 933 district or the regional school readiness council shall submit a plan, as 934 described in subsection (c) of this section, for the expenditure of such 935 grant funds to the commissioner. In awarding grants pursuant to this 936 subsection, the commissioner shall give preference to applications 937 submitted by regional school readiness councils and may, within 938 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 31 of 43 available appropriations, provide a grant to such town or regional 939 school readiness council that increases the number of spaces for eligible 940 children who reside in an area or town described in subparagraphs (A) 941 to (D), inclusive, of this subdivision, in an accredited school readiness 942 program or a school readiness program seeking accreditation. 943 (2) (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (C) of this subdivision, 944 commencing with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2005, if a town received 945 a grant pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection and is no longer 946 eligible to receive such a grant, the town may receive a phase-out grant 947 for each of the three fiscal years following the fiscal year such town 948 received its final grant pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection. 949 (B) The amount of such phase-out grants shall be determined as 950 follows: (i) For the first fiscal year following the fiscal year such town 951 received its final grant pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, in 952 an amount that does not exceed seventy-five per cent of the grant 953 amount such town received for the town or school's final year of 954 eligibility pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection; (ii) for the 955 second fiscal year following the fiscal year such town received its final 956 grant pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, in an amount that 957 does not exceed fifty per cent of the grant amount such town received 958 for the town's or school's final year of eligibility pursuant to subdivision 959 (1) of this subsection; and (iii) for the third fiscal year following the fiscal 960 year such town received its final grant pursuant to subdivision (1) of 961 this subsection, in an amount that does not exceed twenty-five per cent 962 of the grant amount such town received for the town's or school's final 963 year of eligibility pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection. 964 (C) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, and each fiscal year 965 thereafter, any town that received a grant pursuant to subparagraph (B) 966 of subdivision (1) of this subsection for the fiscal year ending June 30, 967 2010, shall continue to receive a grant under this subsection even if the 968 town no longer meets the criteria for such grant pursuant to 969 subparagraph (B) of subdivision (1) of this subsection. 970 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 32 of 43 (e) (1) If funds appropriated for the purposes of subsection (c) of this 971 section are not expended, the commissioner may deposit such 972 unexpended funds in the account established under section 10-16aa and 973 use such unexpended funds in accordance with the provisions of section 974 10-16aa. 975 (2) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015, and each fiscal year 976 thereafter, if funds appropriated for the purposes of subsection (c) of 977 this section are not expended, an amount up to one million dollars of 978 such unexpended funds may be available for the provision of 979 scholarships and professional development for early childhood care and 980 education program providers, and individual staff members employed 981 in such programs, provided such programs accept state funds for infant, 982 toddler and preschool slots. Such unexpended funds may be available 983 for use in accordance with the provisions of this [subparagraph] 984 subdivision for the subsequent fiscal year. The commissioner may use 985 such unexpended funds on and after July 1, 2015, to support early 986 childhood education programs accepting state funds in satisfying the 987 staff qualifications requirements of subparagraphs (B) and (C) of 988 subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section. The commissioner shall 989 use any such funds to provide assistance to individual staff members, 990 giving priority to those staff members (A) attending an institution of 991 higher education accredited by the Board of Regents for Higher 992 Education or the Office of Higher Education, and approved by the 993 Office of Early Childhood, and regionally accredited, at a maximum of 994 ten thousand dollars per staff member per year for the cost of higher 995 education courses leading to a bachelor's degree or, not later than 996 December 31, 2015, an associate degree, as such degrees are described 997 in said subparagraphs (B) and (C), or (B) receiving noncredit 998 competency-based training approved by the office, at a maximum of one 999 thousand dollars per staff member per year, provided such staff 1000 members have applied for all available federal and state scholarships 1001 and grants, and such assistance does not exceed such staff members' 1002 financial need. Individual staff members shall apply for such 1003 unexpended funds in a manner determined by the commissioner. The 1004 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 33 of 43 commissioner shall determine how such unexpended funds shall be 1005 distributed. 1006 (3) If funds appropriated for the purposes of subsection (c) of this 1007 section are not expended pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, 1008 deposited pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, or used 1009 pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection, the commissioner may 1010 use such unexpended funds to support local school readiness programs. 1011 The commissioner may use such funds for purposes including, but not 1012 limited to, (A) assisting local school readiness programs in meeting and 1013 maintaining accreditation requirements, (B) providing training in 1014 implementing the preschool assessment and curriculum frameworks, 1015 including training to enhance literacy teaching skills, (C) developing a 1016 state-wide preschool curriculum, (D) developing student assessments 1017 for students in grades kindergarten to two, inclusive, (E) developing 1018 and implementing best practices for parents in supporting preschool 1019 and kindergarten student learning, (F) developing and implementing 1020 strategies for children to successfully transition to preschool and from 1021 preschool to kindergarten, including through parental engagement and 1022 whole-family supports that may be utilized through the two-1023 generational initiative, established pursuant to section 17b-112l, or 1024 through other available resources, (G) providing for professional 1025 development, including assisting in career ladder advancement, for 1026 school readiness staff, (H) providing supplemental grants to other 1027 towns that are eligible for grants pursuant to subsection (c) of this 1028 section, and (I) developing a plan to provide spaces in an accredited 1029 school readiness program or a school readiness program seeking 1030 accreditation to all eligible children who reside in an area or town 1031 described in subparagraphs (A) to (D), inclusive, of subdivision (1) of 1032 subsection (d) of this section. 1033 (f) Any school readiness program that receives funds pursuant to this 1034 section or section 10-16u shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, 1035 national origin, gender, religion or disability. For purposes of this 1036 section, a nonsectarian program means any public or private school 1037 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 34 of 43 readiness program that is not violative of the Establishment Clause of 1038 the Constitution of the State of Connecticut or the Establishment Clause 1039 of the Constitution of the United States of America. 1040 (g) Subject to the provisions of this subsection, no funds received by 1041 a town pursuant to subsection (c) or (d) of this section or section 10-16u 1042 shall be used to supplant federal, state or local funding received by such 1043 town for early childhood education, provided a town may use an 1044 amount determined in accordance with this subsection for coordination, 1045 program evaluation and administration. Such amount shall be at least 1046 five per cent of the total grant allocation, but not more than seventy-five 1047 thousand dollars and shall be determined by the commissioner based 1048 on the school readiness grant award allocated to the town pursuant to 1049 subsection (c) or (d) of this section or section 10-16u and the number of 1050 operating sites for coordination, program evaluation and 1051 administration. Such amount shall be increased by an amount equal to 1052 local funding provided for early childhood education coordination, 1053 program evaluation and administration, not to exceed twenty-five 1054 thousand dollars. Each town that receives a grant pursuant to 1055 subsection (c) or (d) of this section or section 10-16u shall designate a 1056 person to be responsible for such coordination, program evaluation and 1057 administration and to act as a liaison between the town and the 1058 commissioner. Each school readiness program that receives funds 1059 pursuant to this section or section 10-16u shall provide information to 1060 the commissioner or the school readiness council, as requested, that is 1061 necessary for purposes of any school readiness program evaluation. 1062 (h) Any town receiving a grant pursuant to this section may use such 1063 grant, with the approval of the commissioner, to prepare a facility or 1064 staff for operating a school readiness program and shall be adjusted 1065 based on the number of days of operation of a school readiness program 1066 if a shorter term of operation is approved by the commissioner. 1067 (i) A town may use grant funds to purchase spaces for eligible 1068 children who reside in such town at an accredited school readiness 1069 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 35 of 43 program located in another town. A regional school readiness council 1070 may use grant funds to purchase spaces for eligible children who reside 1071 in the region covered by the council at an accredited school readiness 1072 program located outside such region. 1073 (j) Children enrolled in school readiness programs funded pursuant 1074 to this section shall not be counted (1) as resident students for purposes 1075 of subdivision (22) of section 10-262f, or (2) in the determination of 1076 average daily membership pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (a) 1077 of section 10-261. 1078 (k) (1) Up to two per cent of the amount of the appropriation for this 1079 section may be allocated to the competitive grant program pursuant to 1080 subsection (d) of this section. The determination of the amount of such 1081 allocation shall be made on or before August first. 1082 (2) Up to two per cent of the amount of the appropriation for this 1083 section may be used by the commissioner in a manner consistent with 1084 the provisions of section 10-509. 1085 [(l) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, and each fiscal year 1086 thereafter, any school readiness program that (1) is licensed by the 1087 Office of Early Childhood pursuant to chapter 368a, (2) provides full-1088 day and year-round child care and education programs for children, 1089 and (3) receives funds pursuant to this section or section 10-16u, shall 1090 use any amount of the per child cost as described in subdivision (1) of 1091 subsection (b) of section 10-16q that is over the amount of eight 1092 thousand nine hundred twenty-seven dollars, exclusively to increase 1093 the salaries of those individuals with direct responsibility for teaching 1094 or caring for children in a classroom at such school readiness program.] 1095 Sec. 15. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2022) (a) As used in this section and 1096 section 16 of this act: 1097 (1) "Compensation schedule" means the early childhood educator 1098 compensation schedule developed by the Office of Early Childhood 1099 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 36 of 43 pursuant to section 10-531 of the general statutes, as amended by this 1100 act; 1101 (2) "Early childhood care and education program" means a child care 1102 services provider, early childhood education program or license-exempt 1103 early childhood provider; 1104 (3) "Child care services provider" means a child care center or a group 1105 child care home, as those terms are described in section 19a-77 of the 1106 general statutes, as amended by this act; 1107 (4) "Early childhood education program" means a private preschool 1108 program, a school readiness program or program pursuant to section 8-1109 210 of the general statutes, as amended by this act; 1110 (5) "School readiness program" has the same meaning as provided in 1111 section 10-16p of the general statutes, as amended by this act; 1112 (6) "License-exempt early childhood provider" means any child care 1113 services provider or school readiness program that accepts state funds 1114 for infant, toddler and preschool spaces associated with such program 1115 that is not required to be licensed pursuant to subsection (b) of section 1116 19a-77 of the general statutes, and is located in a public school building 1117 but is not administered by a public school system; 1118 (7) "Employee" means a person who is employed by an early 1119 childhood care and education program and meets the eligibility criteria 1120 described in the compensation schedule and policy developed by the 1121 Office of Early Childhood pursuant to subsection (e) of this section; 1122 (8) "Base salary" means the annual salary that an employee was paid 1123 on December 31, 2021, or, if the position was vacant on December 31, 1124 2021, the starting annual salary for such position on said date; 1125 (9) "Benefits amount" means seven thousand five hundred dollars; 1126 (10) "Individual employee salary enhancement amount" means, for 1127 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 37 of 43 any fiscal year, the sum of (A) the difference between (i) the salary 1128 prescribed in the compensation schedule for an employee, and (ii) the 1129 amount of such employee's base salary, and (B) the benefits amount; 1130 (11) "Salary enhancement amount" means the sum of the total 1131 individual employee salary enhancement amounts for all employees of 1132 an early childhood care and education program for the fiscal year; and 1133 (12) "Family child care home" has the same meaning as provided in 1134 section 19a-77 of the general statutes, as amended by this act. 1135 (b) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, and each fiscal year 1136 thereafter, the Office of Early Childhood shall administer the early 1137 childhood care and education salary enhancement grant program. The 1138 office shall annually pay to each early childhood care and education 1139 program a salary enhancement grant in the amount of such program's 1140 salary enhancement amount. Such programs shall distribute such grant 1141 funds to its employees in accordance with the policy developed by the 1142 Commissioner of Early Childhood pursuant to subsection (e) of this 1143 section. 1144 (c) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, and each fiscal year 1145 thereafter, the office shall annually pay to each family child care home 1146 a salary enhancement grant as follows: (1) Twenty thousand dollars for 1147 each licensee of a family child care home, (2) six thousand dollars for 1148 each full-time assistant or substitute staff member approved by the 1149 Commissioner of Early Childhood pursuant to section 19a-87b of the 1150 general statutes, and (3) three thousand dollars for each part-time 1151 assistant or substitute staff member approved by the commissioner 1152 pursuant to section 19a-87b of the general statutes, and employed by the 1153 family child care home. The licensee shall distribute such grant funds in 1154 accordance with the policy developed by the commissioner pursuant to 1155 subsection (e) of this section. 1156 (d) Each early childhood care and education program shall register, 1157 at such time and in such manner as prescribed by the commissioner, 1158 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 38 of 43 with the Office of Early Childhood to receive a grant under the program. 1159 Upon registration, such program shall provide any information 1160 required by the office, in accordance with the policy developed by the 1161 commissioner pursuant to subsection (e) of this section. 1162 (e) Not later than October 1, 2022, the commissioner shall develop a 1163 policy for the administration of the early childhood care and education 1164 salary enhancement grant program. The policy shall include, but need 1165 not be limited to, eligibility criteria for the program, the registration 1166 process for the program, the distribution requirements of the grant and 1167 any other requirements the commissioner deems necessary. 1168 Sec. 16. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2022) On and after July 1, 2022, each 1169 employee of an early childhood care and education program shall be 1170 paid an annual salary as prescribed in the compensation schedule 1171 developed pursuant to section 10-531 of the general statutes, as 1172 amended by this act, except if an employee's salary is greater than the 1173 amount prescribed in such compensation schedule then such employee 1174 shall be paid such greater amount. 1175 Sec. 17. Section 10-531 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1176 following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2022): 1177 (a) As used in this section: 1178 (1) "Early childhood education program" means any child care or 1179 school readiness program that accepts state funds for infant, toddler and 1180 preschool spaces associated with such program; 1181 (2) "Employee" means any person who is employed by an early 1182 childhood care and education program and meets the [applicable staff 1183 qualifications requirement, as defined in section 10-16p] eligibility 1184 criteria described in the compensation schedule and policy developed 1185 by the Office of Early Childhood pursuant to subsection (e) of section 1 1186 of this act; 1187 (3) "Compensation" means the salary, wages, benefits and other 1188 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 39 of 43 forms of valuable consideration earned by and provided to an employee 1189 in remuneration for services rendered; [and] 1190 (4) "Compensation schedule" means a list or lists specifying a series 1191 of compensation steps and ranges; [.] 1192 (5) "Early childhood care and education program" means a child care 1193 services provider or an early childhood education program; 1194 (6) "Child care services provider" means a child care center or a group 1195 child care home, as those terms are described in section 19a-77, as 1196 amended by this act; 1197 (7) "Early childhood education program" means a private preschool 1198 program, a school readiness program or program pursuant to section 8-1199 210, as amended by this act; and 1200 (8) "School readiness program" has the same meaning as provided in 1201 section 10-16p, as amended by this act. 1202 (b) The Office of Early Childhood shall establish, after notice and 1203 opportunity for public comment, a proposed early childhood educator 1204 compensation schedule for employees of early childhood education 1205 programs. 1206 (c) (1) The office shall consider the following factors in developing the 1207 proposed early childhood educator compensation schedule: (A) Level 1208 of education, (B) training in early childhood education or child 1209 development, (C) relevant employment experience, including the 1210 number of years an individual has been employed in an early childhood 1211 education program, (D) compensation levels for certified teachers 1212 employed in a preschool program operated by a local or regional board 1213 of education or regional educational service center, and (E) cost of living 1214 in the state. 1215 (2) In developing the proposed early childhood educator 1216 compensation schedule, the office may (A) consider the findings and 1217 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 40 of 43 recommendations provided in "A Plan to Assist Early Education State 1218 Funded Providers to Degree Attainment and Increased Compensation" 1219 created by the office, pursuant to section 4 of public act 15-134, to create 1220 a standardized salary scale and incentive package for early childhood 1221 educators, (B) utilize state and federal funding, and (C) examine existing 1222 programs that address early childhood educator compensation and staff 1223 retention through financial incentives, such as bonuses for degree or 1224 course completion. 1225 (3) The office shall establish a recommended minimum salary for 1226 employees as part of the proposed early childhood educator 1227 compensation schedule. 1228 (d) Not later than January 1, 2021, the office shall submit the proposed 1229 early childhood educator compensation schedule and a report to the 1230 joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance 1231 of matters relating to education and appropriations and the budgets of 1232 state agencies, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a. Such 1233 report shall include: (1) Any recommendations for legislation relating to 1234 state-wide implementation of the proposed early childhood educator 1235 compensation schedule, (2) an estimate of the cost of implementing the 1236 proposed early childhood educator compensation schedule state-wide, 1237 (3) an analysis of the effect of the state-wide implementation of the 1238 proposed early childhood educator compensation schedule on the 1239 number of available preschool seats, and (4) an explanation of how the 1240 proposed early childhood educator compensation schedule will be 1241 included in any quality rating and improvement system developed by 1242 the office, pursuant to subdivision (15) of subsection (b) of section 10-1243 500. 1244 (e) Not later than January 1, 2023, the office shall amend the 1245 compensation schedule to include employees of early childhood care 1246 and education programs. 1247 Sec. 18. (Effective July 1, 2022) The sum of sixty thousand dollars is 1248 appropriated to the Department of Education from the General Fund, 1249 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 41 of 43 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, for the purpose of hiring a full-1250 time employee to administer the grant program to provide grants to 1251 local and regional boards of education for the purpose of hiring and 1252 retaining additional school social workers and school psychologists 1253 described in section 2 of this act. 1254 Sec. 19. (Effective July 1, 2022) The sum of thirty thousand dollars is 1255 appropriated to the Department of Education from the General Fund, 1256 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, for the purpose of hiring a full-1257 time employee to administer the minority teacher candidate scholarship 1258 program established pursuant to section 9 of this act. 1259 Sec. 20. (Effective from passage) The sum of five hundred ninety 1260 thousand dollars of the amount appropriated in section 21 of this act to 1261 the Department of Public Health for school-based health clinics, for the 1262 fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, shall be made available for a grant to 1263 each of the thirty-six recommended sites for expanded mental health 1264 services contained in the final report of the School-Based Health Center 1265 Expansion Working Group, established pursuant to section 16 of public 1266 act 21-35. 1267 Sec. 21. (Effective from passage) The sum of twenty-one million two 1268 hundred forty thousand dollars is appropriated to the Department of 1269 Public Health from the General Fund, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1270 2022, for the purpose of expanding services of existing school-based 1271 health centers to include mental health services in accordance with the 1272 provisions of section 20 of this act. 1273 Sec. 22. (Effective from passage) The sum of thirteen million dollars is 1274 allocated, in accordance with the provisions of special act 21-1, from the 1275 federal funds designated for the state pursuant to the provisions of 1276 section 602 of Subtitle M of Title IX of the American Rescue Plan Act of 1277 2021, P.L. 117-2, as amended from time to time, to the Department of 1278 Education, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, for support to the 1279 existing fifteen districts participating in the Learner Engagement and 1280 Attendance Program (LEAP) and expanding participation in the LEAP 1281 Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 42 of 43 program to include five additional high-need districts. 1282 Sec. 23. (Effective from passage) The sum of thirteen million dollars is 1283 allocated, in accordance with the provisions of special act 21-1, from the 1284 federal funds designated for the state pursuant to the provisions of 1285 section 602 of Subtitle M of Title IX of the American Rescue Plan Act of 1286 2021, P.L. 117-2, as amended from time to time, to the Department of 1287 Education, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, for support to the 1288 existing fifteen districts participating in the Learner Engagement and 1289 Attendance Program (LEAP) and expanding participation in the LEAP 1290 program to include five additional high-need districts. 1291 This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: Section 1 from passage New section Sec. 2 July 1, 2022 New section Sec. 3 July 1, 2022 New section Sec. 4 July 1, 2022 New section Sec. 5 July 1, 2022 New section Sec. 6 from passage 10-212a Sec. 7 July 1, 2022 21a-286 Sec. 8 July 1, 2022 New section Sec. 9 July 1, 2022 New section Sec. 10 from passage New section Sec. 11 from passage New section Sec. 12 July 1, 2022 New section Sec. 13 July 1, 2022 10-16q(b)(1) Sec. 14 July 1, 2022 10-16p Sec. 15 July 1, 2022 New section Sec. 16 July 1, 2022 New section Sec. 17 July 1, 2022 10-531 Sec. 18 July 1, 2022 New section Sec. 19 July 1, 2022 New section Sec. 20 from passage New section Sec. 21 from passage New section Sec. 22 from passage New section Sec. 23 from passage New section Committee Bill No. 1 LCO No. 3207 43 of 43 Statement of Purpose: To expand health services in schools. [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.] Co-Sponsors: SEN. LOONEY, 11th Dist.; SEN. DUFF, 25th Dist. SEN. ANWAR, 3rd Dist.; SEN. CABRERA, 17th Dist. SEN. CASSANO, 4th Dist.; SEN. COHEN, 12th Dist. SEN. DAUGHERTY ABRAMS, 13th Dist.; SEN. FLEXER, 29th Dist. SEN. FONFARA, 1st Dist.; SEN. HASKELL, 26th Dist. SEN. KUSHNER, 24th Dist.; SEN. LESSER, 9th Dist. SEN. LOPES, 6th Dist.; SEN. MCCRORY, 2nd Dist. SEN. MILLER P., 27th Dist.; SEN. MOORE, 22nd Dist. SEN. SLAP, 5th Dist.; SEN. WINFIELD, 10th Dist. REP. WINKLER, 56th Dist.; REP. MICHEL, 146th Dist. REP. THOMAS, 143rd Dist.; REP. MORRIN BELLO, 28th Dist. REP. NOLAN, 39th Dist.; REP. TURCO, 27th Dist. REP. CONCEPCION, 4th Dist. S.B. 1