House Bill 781 Summary

• Directs the State Department of Education to implement a voluntary prekindergarten program on a phased-in basis beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, with initial funding of at least $2,000,000.

• Establishes funding at $2,150 per student for full-day programs and $1,075 per student for half-day programs, requiring early learning collaborative councils to match state funds on a 1:1 basis.

• Requires prekindergarten providers to meet specific criteria including research-based curriculum aligned with state standards, teacher qualifications (bachelor's degree for teachers, associate's degree for assistant teachers), and a minimum of 540 hours annually for half-day and 1,080 hours for full-day programs.

• Transfers duties related to early childhood education from the Department of Human Services to the State Department of Education and restructures the State Early Childhood Advisory Council (SECAC) to implement the Early Learning Act of 2013 pursuant to federal law.

• Repeals the Early Childhood Services Advisory Committee and updates teacher qualification standards for state-funded early childhood education programs.