Early Care and Education Legislation Database

The Early Care and Education database tracks and updates early care and education legislation from the 2008-2013 legislative sessions for 50 states and the territories. Issues include child care and child care financing, early childhood services, prekindergarten, professional development, home visiting, infants and toddlers, and financing early education. Legislation can be searched by state, topic, status, primary sponsor, bill number or keyword. This database, which is updated biweekly, is made possible by the generous support of the Alliance for Early Success.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

June 17, 2013
2013 ENACTED LEGISLATION – A PRELIMINARY SUMMARY

Nineteen states (and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico) are in regular session as of June 4, 2013. Twenty-nine states have adjourned the 2013 session and 11 more states will adjourn by the end of June 2013. All 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico will have held regular sessions in 2013.

As of June 4, 2013, forty-nine states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have introduced more than 600 bills on early care and education issues. Of those, 97 bills have been enacted in 26 different states. In 10 states and Puerto Rico, legislators also adopted or enacted  17 resolutions or other legislative acts. More than 370 bills are pending action or will be laid over in the next session.

Overview of Enacted Legislation:
•    Child care and child care quality: 35 bills in 16 states

o    Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia.

•    Financing and funding: 25 bills in 13 states

o    Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Virginia and Washington.

•    Comprehensive early childhood systems and governance: 17 bills in 10 states

o    Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Kentucky, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma and Washington.

•    Prekindergarten: 28 bills in 18 states

o    Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and Washington.

•    Home visiting and other birth-to-three issues: 18 bills in 10 states

o    Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Kentucky, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota and Washington

•    Other topics:

o    ECE workforce (Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada and Oregon), tax incentive (Indiana)

 
For more details or to track state legislation from the 2008 through 2013 sessions by state, topic, bill number, author or bill status, scroll down this page.  

The NCSL Report on Early Care and Education 2012 Legislative Action is now available!  Click HERE to view.