Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 48 (2023GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Pulsipher, S.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/15/2023

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• defines terms;
• repeals the Governor's Early Childhood Commission (the commission);
• requires the Department of Health and Human Services to provide administrative and staff support to the Early Childhood Utah Advisory Council (the council);
• expands the duties of the council to include duties previously fulfilled by the commission;
• requires the council to report certain information to the executive officers of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Workforce Services, and the State Board of Education;
• extends the sunset date of the council from 2026 to 2029; and
• makes technical changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

EARLY CHILDHOOD AMENDMENTS
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Susan Pulsipher
Senate Sponsor: 
Ann Millner
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill addresses state programs and services for children in early childhood.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ defines terms;
▸ repeals the Governor's Early Childhood Commission (the commission);
▸ requires the Department of Health and Human Services to provide administrative
and staff support to the Early Childhood Utah Advisory Council (the council);
▸ expands the duties of the council to include duties previously fulfilled by the
commission;
▸ requires the council to report certain information to the executive officers of the
Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Workforce Services,
and the State Board of Education;
▸ extends the sunset date of the council from 2026 to 2029; and
▸ makes technical changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
26-66-102
, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 34
26-66-201
, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 34
26-66-202
, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 34
63I-1-226
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2022, Chapters 194, 206, 224, 253, 255,
347, and 451
ENACTS:
26-66-204
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
REPEALS:
63M-13-101
, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 34
63M-13-102
, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 34
63M-13-201
, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 34
63M-13-202
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2020, Chapter 354
63M-13-203
, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 34
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
26-66-102
 is amended to read:
26-66-102.
Definitions.
As used in this chapter:
[
(1) "Commission" means the Governor's Early Childhood Commission created in
Section 
63M-13-201
.
]
[
(2)
] 
(1)
 "Council" means the Early Childhood Utah Advisory Council created in
Section 
26-66-201
.
(2) "Early childhood" refers to a child in the state who is eight years of age or younger.
(3) "State superintendent" means the state superintendent of public instruction
appointed under Section 
53E-3-301
.
Section 2. Section 
26-66-201
 is amended to read:
26-66-201.
Creation of the Early Childhood Utah Advisory Council -- Duties of
the department.
(1) There is created the Early Childhood Utah Advisory Council.
(2) The department shall
:
(a)
 make rules establishing the membership, duties, and procedures of the council in
accordance with the requirements of:
[
(a)
] 
(i)
 this chapter;
[
(b)
] 
(ii)
 the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007, 42 U.S.C. Sec.
9837b; and
[
(c)
] 
(iii)
 Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act[
.
]
; and
(b) provide necessary administrative and staff support to the council.
Section 3. Section 
26-66-202
 is amended to read:
26-66-202.
Duties of the council.
(1) The 
duties of the
 council [
shall serve as an entity dedicated to
] 
include:
(a)
 improving and coordinating the quality of programs and services for children in
accordance with the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007, 42 U.S.C. Sec.
9837b[
.
]
;
(b) supporting Utah parents and families by providing comprehensive and accurate
information regarding the availability of voluntary services for children in early childhood from
state agencies and other private and public entities;
(c) facilitating improved coordination between state agencies and community partners
that provide services to children in early childhood;
(d) sharing and analyzing information regarding early childhood issues in the state;
(e) providing recommendations to the department, the Department of Workforce
Services, and the State Board of Education regarding a comprehensive delivery system of
services for children in early childhood that addresses the following four areas:
(i) family support and safety;
(ii) health and development;
(iii) early learning; and
(iv) economic development; and
(f) identifying opportunities for and barriers to the alignment of standards, rules,
policies, and procedures across programs and agencies that support children in early childhood.
(2) To fulfill the duties described in Subsection (1), the council shall:
(a) directly engage with parents, families, community members, and public and private
service providers to identify and address:
(i) the quality, effectiveness, and availability of existing services for children in early
childhood and the coordination of those services;
(ii) gaps and barriers to entry in the provision of services for children in early
childhood; and
(iii) community-based solutions in improving the quality, effectiveness, and
availability of services for children in early childhood;
(b) seek regular and ongoing feedback from a wide range of entities and individuals
that use or provide services for children in early childhood, including entities and individuals
that use, represent, or provide services for any of the following:
(i) children in early childhood who live in urban, suburban, or rural areas of the state;
(ii) children in early childhood with varying socioeconomic backgrounds;
(iii) children in early childhood with varying ethnic or racial heritage;
(iv) children in early childhood from various geographic areas of the state; and
(v) children in early childhood with special needs;
(c) study, evaluate, and report on the status and effectiveness of policies, procedures,
and programs that provide services to children in early childhood;
(d) study and evaluate the effectiveness of policies, procedures, and programs
implemented by other states and nongovernmental entities that address the needs of children in
early childhood;
(e) identify policies, procedures, and programs that are impeding efforts to help
children in early childhood in the state and recommend changes to those policies, procedures,
and programs;
(f) identify policies, procedures, and programs related to children in early childhood in
the state that are inefficient or duplicative and recommend changes to those policies,
procedures, and programs;
(g) recommend policy, procedure, and program changes to address the needs of
children in early childhood;
(h) develop methods for using interagency information to inform comprehensive policy
and budget decisions relating to early childhood services; and
(i) develop strategies and monitor efforts concerning:
(i) increasing school readiness;
(ii) improving access to early child care and early education programs; and
(iii) improving family and community engagement in early childhood education and
development.
(3) In fulfilling the council's duties, the council may request and receive, from any state
or local governmental agency or institution, information relating to early childhood, including
reports, audits, projections, and statistics.
[
(2) The council shall advise the commission and, on or before August 1, annually
provide to the commission:
]
[
(a) a statewide assessment concerning the availability of high-quality pre-kindergarten
services for children from low-income households; and
]
[
(b) a statewide strategic report addressing the activities mandated by the Improving
Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 9837b, including:
]
[
(i) identifying opportunities for and barriers to collaboration and coordination among
federally-funded and state-funded child health and development, child care, and early
childhood education programs and services, including collaboration and coordination among
state agencies responsible for administering such programs;
]
[
(ii) evaluating the overall participation of children in existing federal, state, and local
child care programs and early childhood health, development, family support, and education
programs;
]
[
(iii) recommending statewide professional development and career advancement plans
for early childhood educators and service providers in the state, including an analysis of the
capacity and effectiveness of programs at two- and four-year public and private institutions of
higher education that support the development of early childhood educators; and
]
[
(iv) recommending improvements to the state's early learning standards and
high-quality comprehensive early learning standards.
]
[
(3) On or before August 1, 2020, and at least every five years thereafter, the council
shall provide to the commission a statewide needs assessment concerning the quality and
availability of early childhood education, health, and development programs and services for
children in early childhood.
]
Section 4. Section 
26-66-204
 is enacted to read:
 26-66-204.
Reports.
(1) (a) On or before August 1 of each year, the council shall provide an annual report to
the executive director, the executive director of the Department of Workforce Services, and the
state superintendent.
(b) The annual report shall include:
(i) a statewide assessment concerning the availability of high-quality pre-kindergarten
services for children from low-income households;
(ii) a statewide strategic report addressing the activities mandated by the Improving
Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 9837b, including:
(A) identifying opportunities for and barriers to collaboration and coordination among
federally-funded and state-funded child health and development, child care, and early
childhood education programs and services, including collaboration and coordination among
state agencies responsible for administering such programs;
(B) evaluating the overall participation of children in existing federal, state, and local
child care programs and early childhood health, development, family support, and education
programs;
(C) recommending statewide professional development and career advancement plans
for early childhood educators and service providers in the state, including an analysis of the
capacity and effectiveness of programs at two- and four-year public and private institutions of
higher education that support the development of early childhood educators; and
(D) recommending improvements to the state's early learning standards and
high-quality comprehensive early learning standards; and
(iii) the recommendations described in Subsection 
26-66-202
(1)(e).
(2) In addition to the annual report described in Subsection (1)(a), on or before August
1, 2024, and at least every five years thereafter, the council shall provide to the executive
director, the executive director of the Department of Workforce Services, and the state
superintendent, a statewide needs assessment concerning the quality and availability of early
childhood education, health, and development programs and services for children in early
childhood.
Section 5. Section 
63I-1-226
 is amended to read:
63I-1-226.
Repeal dates: Title 26 through 26B.
(1) Section 
26-1-7.5
, which creates the Utah Health Advisory Council, is repealed July
1, 2025.
(2) Section 
26-1-40
 is repealed July 1, 2022.
(3) Section 
26-1-41
 is repealed July 1, 2026.
(4) Section 
26-1-43
 is repealed December 31, 2025.
(5) Section 
26-7-10
 is repealed July 1, 2025.
(6) Subsection 
26-7-11
(5), regarding reports to the Legislature, is repealed July 1,
2028.
(7) Section 
26-7-14
 is repealed December 31, 2027.
(8) Section 
26-8a-603
 is repealed July 1, 2027.
(9) Title 26, Chapter 9f, Utah Digital Health Service Commission Act, is repealed July
1, 2025.
(10) Subsection 
26-10-6
(5), which creates the Newborn Hearing Screening Committee,
is repealed July 1, 2026.
(11) Section 
26-10b-106
, which creates the Primary Care Grant Committee, is repealed
July 1, 2025.
[
(12) Subsection 
26-15c-104
(3), relating to a limitation on the number of
microenterprise home kitchen permits that may be issued, is repealed July 1, 2022.
]
[
(13)
] 
(12)
 Subsection 
26-18-2.6
(9), which addresses reimbursement for dental
hygienists, is repealed July 1, 2028.
[
(14)
] 
(13)
 Section 
26-18-27
 is repealed July 1, 2025.
[
(15)
] 
(14)
 Section 
26-18-28
 is repealed June 30, 2027.
[
(16)
] 
(15)
 Title 26, Chapter 18, Part 2, Drug Utilization Review Board, is repealed
July 1, 2027.
[
(17)
] 
(16)
 Subsection 
26-18-418
(2), the language that states "and the Behavioral
Health Crisis Response Commission created in Section 
63C-18-202
" is repealed July 1, 2023.
[
(18)
] 
(17)
 Section 
26-33a-117
 is repealed December 31, 2023.
[
(19)
] 
(18)
 Title 26, Chapter 33a, Utah Health Data Authority Act, is repealed July 1,
2024.
[
(20)
] 
(19)
 Title 26, Chapter 36b, Inpatient Hospital Assessment Act, is repealed July
1, 2024.
[
(21)
] 
(20)
 Title 26, Chapter 36c, Medicaid Expansion Hospital Assessment Act, is
repealed July 1, 2024.
[
(22)
] 
(21)
 Title 26, Chapter 36d, Hospital Provider Assessment Act, is repealed July
1, 2024.
[
(23)
] 
(22)
 Section 
26-39-201
, which creates the Residential Child Care Licensing
Advisory Committee, is repealed July 1, 2024.
[
(24)
] 
(23)
 Section 
26-39-405
, Drinking water quality in child care centers, is repealed
July 1, 2027.
[
(25)
] 
(24)
 Section 
26-40-104
, which creates the Utah Children's Health Insurance
Program Advisory Council, is repealed July 1, 2025.
[
(26)
] 
(25)
 Section 
26-50-202
, which creates the Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory
Committee, is repealed July 1, 2025.
[
(27)
] 
(26)
 Title 26, Chapter 54, Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Rehabilitation Fund and
Pediatric Neuro-Rehabilitation Fund, is repealed January 1, 2025.
[
(28)
] 
(27)
 Title 26, Chapter 66, Early Childhood Utah Advisory Council, is repealed
July 1, [
] 
.
[
(29)
] 
(28)
 Title 26, Chapter 68, COVID-19 Vaccine Restrictions Act, is repealed July
1, 2024.
[
(30)
] 
(29)
 Section 
26-69-406
 is repealed July 1, 2025.
[
(31)
] 
(30)
 Subsection 
26B-1-204
(2)(i), related to the Residential Child Care Licensing
Advisory Committee, is repealed July 1, 2024.
[
(32)
] 
(31)
 Subsection 
26B-1-204
(2)(k), related to the Primary Care Grant Committee,
is repealed July 1, 2025.
Section 6. 
Repealer.
This bill repeals:
Section 
63M-13-101
,
Title.
Section 
63M-13-102
,
Definitions.
Section 
63M-13-201
,
Creation of the Governor's Early Childhood Commission.
Section 
63M-13-202
,
Duties of the commission.
Section 
63M-13-203
,
Annual report.