Sec. C-1. Subcommittee established. The Subcommittee To Study Early Childhood Special Education, referred to in this Part as "the subcommittee," is established to study early childhood special education programs and services provided for infants and young children from birth to 8 years of age. The subcommittee shall function as a subcommittee of the Task Force on Early Childhood, an initiative of the Children's Cabinet established pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 439 that proposes to implement a state plan for comprehensive early childhood systems.
Sec. C-2. Subcommittee membership. The subcommittee consists of no more than 28 members appointed as follows:
1. Two members of the Senate, one belonging to the political party holding the largest number of seats in the Senate and one belonging to the political party holding the 2nd largest number of seats in the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate;
2. Two members of the House of Representatives, one belonging to the political party holding the largest number of seats in the House of Representatives and one belonging to the political party holding the 2nd largest number of seats in the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House;
3. Twenty-four members appointed jointly by the Commissioner of Education and the Commissioner of Health and Human Services, who are the lead commissioners for the early childhood priority established by the Children's Cabinet. The Commissioner of Education and the Commissioner of Health and Human Services shall appoint subcommittee members from a list of 2 to 3 nominees submitted for each subcommittee position by the respective statewide organizations that represent the specified categories as follows:
A. Two members who are parents of infants or toddlers with a disability that have knowledge of or experience with programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities, who are nominated by the Maine Parent Federation, Inc., or its successor;
B. Two members who are parents of children with a disability between 3 years of age and 8 years of age that have knowledge of or experience with programs for children with disabilities, who are nominated by the Maine Parent Federation, Inc., or its successor;
C. Two members who are contracted service providers of early intervention and free, appropriate public education services, who are nominated by the Maine Association for Community Service Providers, or its successor;
D. Two members who are Child Development Services System regional site staff who provide direct services, who are nominated by the boards of directors of the regional sites within the Child Development Services System;
E. One member who is a member of a board of directors of a Child Development Services System regional site, who are nominated by the boards of directors of the regional sites within the Child Development Services System;
F. One member who is a director of a Child Development Services System regional site, who is nominated by the Child Development Services System Site Directors Council;
G. One member who is a representative of a Head Start agency or program, who is nominated by the Director of the Office of Child Care and Head Start in the Department of Health and Human Services;
H. One member who is a representative of a child care program, who is nominated by the Director of the Office of Child Care and Head Start in the Department of Health and Human Services;
I. One member who is a teacher in an early childhood education program for children 4 years of age established by a public elementary school that includes coordination of programs and services for eligible children with a Child Development Services System regional site, who is nominated by the Executive Director of the Maine Education Association, or its successor;
J. One member who is a principal of a public elementary school that has implemented an early childhood education program for children 4 years of age that includes coordination of programs and services for eligible children with a Child Development Services System regional site, who is nominated by the Executive Director of the Maine Principals' Association, or its successor;
K. Two members who are special education directors, who are nominated by the Executive Director of the Maine Administrators of Services for Children with Disabilities, or its successor;
L. One member who serves as a superintendent of a school administrative unit that has implemented an early childhood education program for children 4 years of age that includes coordination of programs and services for eligible children with a Child Development Services System regional site, who is nominated by the Executive Director of the Maine School Superintendents Association, or its successor;
M. One member who serves as a school board member of a school administrative unit that has implemented an early childhood education program for children 4 years of age that includes coordination of programs and services for eligible children with a Child Development Services System regional site, who is nominated by the Executive Director of the Maine School Boards Association, or its successor;
N. One member who is an individual with a disability, who is nominated by the Executive Director of the Maine Administrators of Services for Children with Disabilities, or its successor;
O. One member who is a representative on the Maine Advisory Council for the Education of Children with Disabilities, who is nominated by the chair of the Maine Advisory Council for the Education of Children with Disabilities, or its successor;
P. Two members representing the Department of Education, who are nominated by the Commissioner of Education; and
Q. Two members representing the Department of Health and Human Services, who are nominated by the Commissioner of Health and Human Services.
Sec. C-3. Chairs. The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House shall each select one member appointed in section 2, subsection 3 to serve as a cochair of the subcommittee, except that the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House may not appoint a Legislator to serve as a cochair of the subcommittee.
Sec. C-4. Appointments; convening of subcommittee. All the appointments must be made no later than 30 days following the effective date of this Part. The appointing authorities shall notify the Executive Director of the Legislative Council once all appointments have been completed. Within 15 days after appointment of all members, the chairs shall call and convene the first meeting of the subcommittee.
Sec. C-5. Duties. The subcommittee shall examine the following:
1. The extent to which services provided by the early childhood special education systems established in the State to deliver effective early intervention and free, appropriate public education services for eligible children from birth to 8 years of age are provided in an efficient manner that meets federal and state legal requirements;
2. The extent to which the existing early childhood systems established in the State strike a reasonable balance between the cognitive development and the emotional and physical needs of young children from birth to 8 years of age;
3. National trends and relevant models of governing and delivering early childhood special education systems in other states and jurisdictions that hold the potential for enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency or accountability of the early childhood special education systems established in the State;
4. The short-term and long-term costs and benefits of the Department of Education plan to restructure the Child Development Services System as presented by the Commissioner of Education to the Legislature pursuant to Public Law 2005, chapter 12, Part YY on November 30, 2005 and as set forth in this Act; and
5. Such other issues as the subcommittee membership determine to be useful or necessary in examining this policy matter.
Sec. C-6. Staff assistance. The Department of Education shall provide necessary staffing services to the subcommittee.
Sec. C-7. Compensation. Legislative members of the subcommittee are entitled to receive the legislative per diem and reimbursement for travel and other necessary expenses related to their attendance at authorized meetings of the subcommittee. Other members of the subcommittee may not receive compensation for their participation on the subcommittee.
Sec. C-8. Report. The subcommittee shall submit a report that includes its findings and recommendations, including suggested legislation, which may include an extension of any of the time periods established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 7209, for presentation to the Commissioner of Education and the Commissioner of Health and Human Services, who are the lead commissioners for the early childhood priority established by the Children's Cabinet, and to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education and cultural affairs and to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters no later than January 31, 2007. The subcommittee is authorized to introduce legislation related to the recommendations contained in its report to the First Regular Session of the 123rd Legislature at the time of submission of its report.
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