2023 -- H 6512
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S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
AMENDING THE JOINT RESOLUTION CREATING A PERMANENT LEGISLAT IVE
COMMISSION ON CHILD CARE IN RHODE ISLAND
Introduced By: Representatives Diaz, Caldwell, Casimiro, Slater, Tanzi, Shallcross
Smith, Fogarty, and Edwards
Date Introduced: June 10, 2023
Referred To: House Health & Human Services
WHEREAS, The Permanent Legislative Commission on Child Care (the "Commission") 1
was established by a Joint Resolution in 1989, and has been meeting faithfully since that time to 2
develop and recommend policies and legislation that will provide for quality, affordable, and 3
accessible child care and early education services in Rhode Island; and 4
WHEREAS, Seventy-two percent (72%) of Rhode Island children under age six and 5
seventy-seven percent (77%) of Rhode Island children ages six to seventeen have all parents in 6
the workforce; and 7
WHEREAS, Since the Commission was established, research has shown that 8
participating in high-quality early childhood programs supports children's learning and 9
development, can improve the trajectory of families' lives, and can close achievement gaps that 10
appear prior to kindergarten; now, therefore be it 11
RESOLVED, That the Permanent Legislative Commission on Child Care in Rhode 12
Island, created by resolution No. 217 passed by the General Assembly at its January session, A.D. 13
1989, and approved July 7, 1989, entitled "Joint Resolution Creating A Permanent Legislative 14
Commission On Child Care In Rhode Island," amended by resolution No. 219 passed by the 15
General Assembly at its January session, A.D. 1991, and approved June 20, 1991, entitled "Joint 16
Resolution In Amendment of The Joint Resolution Creating A Permanent Legislative 17
Commission On Child Care In Rhode Island," further amended by resolution No. 325 passed by 18
the General Assembly at its January session, A.D. 1998, and approved by the General Assembly 19
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on June 27, 1998, entitled "Joint Resolution Amending the Joint Resolution Creating a Permanent 1
Legislative Commission on Child Care in Rhode Island," as further amended by resolution No. 2
346 passed by the General Assembly at its January session, A.D. 2007, and approved by the 3
General Assembly on June 13, 2007, entitled "Joint Resolution Amending the Joint Resolution 4
Creating a Permanent Legislative Commission on Child Care In Rhode Island," and as further 5
amended by resolution No. 410 passed by the General Assembly on July 6, 2007, entitled "Joint 6
Resolution Amending the Joint Resolution Creating a Permanent Legislative Commission on 7
Child Care in Rhode Island" and as further amended by resolution No. 372 passed by the General 8
Assembly at its January session, A.D. 2010, and approved by the General Assembly on June 25, 9
2010, entitled "Joint Resolution Amending the Joint Resolution Creating a Permanent Legislative 10
Commission on Child Care in Rhode Island" be and the same is hereby amended, as follows: 11
The Commission shall be known as "The Permanent Legislative Commission on Child 12
Care and Early Learning". 13
The purpose of the Commission shall be to review, develop, and recommend policies and 14
legislation to the General Assembly to ensure that Rhode Island has a network of child care and 15
early learning services that are high quality, affordable, accessible, and equitable, and to plan for 16
the state's current and future needs for child care, as well as early learning services, including the 17
expansion of pre-kindergarten. 18
The Commission shall consist of thirty-one (31) members: five (5) of whom shall be 19
members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives, not more than four (4) from the same 20
political party, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; four (4) of whom shall be members 21
of the Rhode Island Senate, not more than three (3) from the same political party, to be appointed 22
by the President of the Senate; one of whom shall be from the Rhode Island Department of 23
Human Services State Child Care Licensing Office, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; 24
one of whom shall be from the Rhode Island Department of Human Services State Child Care 25
Subsidy Program, to be appointed by the Senate President; one of whom shall be the Director of 26
the Head Start Collaboration Office, or designee; one of whom shall be the Child Advocate of the 27
State of Rhode Island, or designee; one of whom shall be the Commissioner of the Rhode Island 28
Department of Education, or designee; one of whom shall be a representative from Business 29
Owners of Childcare Association (BOCA), to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of 30
whom shall be a representative from the State Alliance of YMCAs, to be appointed by the Senate 31
President; one of whom shall be a representative from the Rhode Island Childcare Directors 32
Association (RICCDA), to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be a 33
representative from the RI Head Start Association, to be appointed by the Senate President; one 34
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of whom shall be a representative from Family Child Care Homes of Rhode Island, to be 1
appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be a representative from the SEIU 2
1199 Family Care Providers Union, to be appointed by the Senate President; one of whom shall 3
be a representative from the Rhode Island Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, to be appointed by the 4
Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be the Executive Director of the Rhode Island Parent 5
Information Network, Inc., or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive Director of Rhode 6
Island KIDS COUNT, or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive Director at The 7
Economic Progress Institute, or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive Director of the 8
Rhode Island Association for the Education of Young Children, or designee; one of whom shall 9
be the Commissioner of the Office of the Postsecondary Education who has direct knowledge of 10
and experience working with an institution's early childhood education program or department, or 11
designee; one of whom shall be the Executive Director of the Local Initiatives Support 12
Corporation (LISC Rhode Island), or designee; one of whom shall be the President and Chief 13
Executive Officer of the United Way of Rhode Island, or designee; one of whom shall be the 14
Executive Director of the Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council, or designee; one of 15
whom shall be the Executive Director of Parents Leading for Educational Equity (PLEE), or 16
designee; and one of whom shall be an early childhood program leader in Rhode Island who has 17
expertise in early childhood through their own education and experience, focuses their work in 18
the urban core or similar community that is traditionally underserved, and whose work 19
predominantly serves historically marginalized populations, to be appointed jointly by the 20
Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate from a list provided by the Commission 21
Chairs. 22
When making appointments, consideration shall be given to increasing diversity on the 23
Commission to more closely reflect the demographics of the State of Rhode Island. 24
Membership in the Commission shall be reviewed and updated every two (2) or three (3) 25
years. 26
The Commission shall be hosted by the House of Representatives in even-numbered 27
years and by the Senate in odd-numbered years. 28
The Commission shall organize and execute an annual event for Child Care and Early 29
Education Awareness Day, and a planning retreat to discuss child care and early education 30
initiatives every two (2) or three (3) years. 31
The Commission may be allotted an annual budget up to five thousand dollars ($5,000) 32
via grant funding, subject to approval by the Speaker of the House and the President of the 33
Senate, to support activities and costs associated with Child Care Awareness Day and the 34
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planning retreat. 1
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
AMENDING THE JOINT RESOLUTION CREATING A PERMANENT LEGISLATIV E
COMMISSION ON CHILD CARE IN RHODE ISLAND
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This resolution would amend the commission name, membership, appointment process, 1
purpose, funding allowance designation, timeline for membership, and meeting schedules. 2
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