A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to direct certain state agencies to collaborate on an ongoing basis in an initiative to develop and implement a statewide vision for early childhood education, as recommended by the joint legislative oversight committee on health and human services.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  The General Assembly directs the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Public Instruction, and any other agencies that administer and support early education programs in this State, within resources currently available, to collaborate on an ongoing basis in an initiative to develop and implement a statewide vision for early childhood education. In collaborating in this effort, the agencies shall, at a minimum, do the following:
(1)	Inventory and evaluate all State programs and services in the area of early childhood education.
(2)	Study the transition from NC Pre‑K to public kindergarten and make any recommendations to ensure the successful transition of children from NC Pre‑K to public kindergarten.
(3)	Develop a comprehensive approach to early childhood education, birth through third grade, including creating cross agency accountability with a comprehensive set of data indicators to monitor and measure success of the early childhood systems.
(4)	Require the collaborating agencies to report on any issues and recommendations, including any legislative proposals, resulting from this initiative. The agencies shall make an initial report to the chairs of the House Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services and the Fiscal Research Division on or before February 1, 2017. The agencies shall make a follow up report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services on or before February 1, 2018. Any subsequent reports shall be made as needed.
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.