EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1530*
HOUSE BILL 1530
F5, O4 5lr3507
By: Delegate McCaskill
Introduced and read first time: February 21, 2025
Assigned to: Rules and Executive Nominations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Publicly Funded Prekindergarten – Eligible Prekindergarten Provider Data 2
Dashboard 3
FOR the purpose of requiring, beginning on a certain date, the State Department of 4
Education to maintain on its website a data dashboard with certain information 5
regarding certain eligible prekindergarten providers in the State; requiring the 6
Department to partner with a nonprofit organization that has experience in 7
maintaining a data dashboard for child care providers; requiring the Department to 8
establish a process that allows an eligible prekindergarten provider to opt out of 9
being included in the data dashboard; and generally relating to a data dashboard for 10
eligible prekindergarten providers. 11
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 12
Article – Education 13
Section 7–1A–01(a) and (d) through (f) 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 16
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 17
Article – Education 18
Section 7–1A–09 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 21
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 22
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 23
Article – Education 24
7–1A–01. 25
2 HOUSE BILL 1530
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 1
(d) “Eligible prekindergarten provider” includes an: 2
(1) Eligible public provider; and 3
(2) Eligible private provider. 4
(e) (1) “Eligible private provider” means a community–based early learning 5
program that: 6
(i) Is licensed in the State; 7
(ii) Does not charge more tuition for full–day prekindergarten than 8
the cost of quality; and 9
(iii) Meets the requirements under § 7–1A–04 of this subtitle. 10
(2) “Eligible private provider” includes the Ulysses Currie Head Start 11
Program under § 5–231 of this article. 12
(f) “Eligible public provider” means an early learning program that: 13
(1) Is provided by a county board at a public school; and 14
(2) Meets the requirements under § 7–1A–04 of this subtitle. 15
7–1A–09. 16
(a) (1) The Department shall establish prekindergarten provider hubs in 17
centralized and diverse locations throughout the State. 18
(2) Prekindergarten provider hubs shall be designed to help bring as many 19
providers into the State’s mixed prekindergarten delivery system as possible. 20
(3) Prekindergarten provider hubs shall form partnerships between: 21
(i) Early childhood educators on the early childhood educator career 22
ladder; 23
(ii) Child care centers licensed under Title 9.5, Subtitle 4 of this 24
article; 25
(iii) Family child care homes or large family child care homes 26
registered under Title 9.5, Subtitle 3 of this article; and 27
HOUSE BILL 1530 3
(iv) Any other entities that the Department determines will aid in 1
bringing eligible children into the State’s mixed delivery system. 2
(4) Prekindergarten provider hubs shall coordinate support among entities 3
that serve children and their families to ensure that the maximum number of eligible 4
children are able to be placed in a prekindergarten slot. 5
(b) (1) The Department shall establish a program to aid eligible 6
prekindergarten providers in meeting the requirements of this subtitle. 7
(2) The program shall provide to eligible private providers: 8
(i) Information on professional development opportunities for 9
teachers and teaching assistants; 10
(ii) Technical support for meeting requirements to enroll in child 11
care support programs; and 12
(iii) Assistance with implementing early childhood curriculum 13
standards. 14
(3) To the extent practicable, the Department shall provide programmatic 15
support in accordance with this subsection through prekindergarten provider hubs. 16
(c) (1) The Department shall publish a list of eligible private providers in each 17
local school system on its website and distribute the list to the following entities and 18
organizations located within the areas in which the eligible private providers are located: 19
(i) A local office of economic development; 20
(ii) The Maryland Small Business Development Center; 21
(iii) A local management board; 22
(iv) A local workforce development board; and 23
(v) A local office supporting minority and women–owned businesses. 24
(2) An entity or organization listed under paragraph (1) of this subsection 25
shall, if applicable, assist a private prekindergarten provider in its jurisdiction with: 26
(i) Enrolling in business support services for which the provider 27
qualifies; and 28
(ii) Adopting a business plan to help the provider meet the 29
requirements of this subtitle. 30
4 HOUSE BILL 1530
(3) To the extent practicable, organizations listed under paragraph (1) of 1
this subsection shall work with prekindergarten provider hubs to provide support. 2
(d) The Department shall publicize the availability of publicly funded 3
prekindergarten programs to the public. 4
(E) (1) IN ADDITION TO THE RE QUIREMENTS OF SUBSECTIONS (C) AND 5
(D) OF THIS SECTION AND SUBJECT TO PARAG RAPHS (2) THROUGH (4) OF THIS 6
SUBSECTION, BEGINNING JULY 1, 2026, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MAIN TAIN ON 7
THE DEPARTMENT ’S WEBSITE A PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE DATA DASHBOARD THAT 8
PROVIDES INFORMATION ON ELIGIBLE PREKINDERGARTE N PROVIDERS. 9
(2) THE DATA DASHBOARD SHALL BE UPDATED MON THLY AND 10
INCLUDE INFORMATION ON ELIGIBLE PREKINDERGA RTEN PROVIDERS THAT IS 11
SEARCHABLE USING FIL TERS FOR: 12
(I) ZIP CODES, WITH AN OPTION TO SEARCH A DISTANCE 13
RADIUS WITHIN EACH ZIP CODE; 14
(II) AGE OF THE CHILD TO BE SERVED; 15
(III) THE TYPE OF CARE , SUCH AS WHETHER THE PROVIDER IS 16
HOME– OR CENTER–BASED; 17
(IV) OPERATING HOURS , SUCH AS OPENING AND CLOSING TIMES 18
AND DAYS OF THE WEEK ; 19
(V) THE MAXIMUM WEEKLY PRICE FOR FULL–TIME CARE; 20
(VI) THE MARYLAND EXCELS PROGRAM QUALITY LEVEL 21
RATING; 22
(VII) FINANCIAL AID AVAILAB ILITY; 23
(VIII) PROGRAM DURATION, SUCH AS WHETHER THE PROGRAM IS 24
OFFERED ON A SCHOOL–YEAR OR YEAR–ROUND BASIS; 25
(IX) PREFERRED LANGUAGE ; 26
(X) SPECIAL NEEDS SERVICES; AND 27
(XI) AVAILABILITY OF THE PROVIDE R. 28
HOUSE BILL 1530 5
(3) TO ESTABLISH THE DATA DASHBOARD UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF 1
THIS SUBSECTION , THE DEPARTMENT SHALL : 2
(I) PARTNER WITH A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION IN THE STATE 3
THAT HAS EXPERIENCE MAINTAINING AN EXISTING DATA DASHBOARD FOR CHILD 4
CARE PROVIDERS THAT CONTAINS SIMILA R INFORMATION AS DES CRIBED UNDER 5
PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION ; AND 6
(II) TO THE EXTENT PRACTIC ABLE, INTEGRATE THE DATA 7
DASHBOARD OF THE DEPARTMENT WITH THE EXISTING DATA DASHBOARD OF THE 8
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATI ON. 9
(4) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTA BLISH A PROCESS THAT ALLOWS 10
AN ELIGIBLE PREKINDERGA RTEN PROVIDER TO OPT OUT OF BEING INCLUDED IN 11
THE DATA DASHBOARD ESTABLISHED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION . 12
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 13
1, 2025. 14