Bill S.2111

FILED ON: 1/19/2012

SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2111

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Twelve

_______________

An Act establishing the afterschool and out-of-school time coordinating council.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. There is hereby established the Massachusetts afterschool and out-of-school time coordinating council, to consist of 15 members: 2 members from the legislature, 1 of whom shall be a member of the house of representatives, to be appointed by the speaker of the house, who shall serve as co-chair, and 1 of whom shall be a member of the senate, to be appointed by the senate president, who shall serve as co-chair; 1 representative from the department of elementary and secondary education to be appointed by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education; 1 representative from the department of early education and care to be appointed by the commissioner of early education and care; 1 representative from the department of higher education to be appointed by the commissioner of higher education; 1 representative from the department of children and families to be appointed by the commissioner of children and families; 1 representative from the department of public health to be appointed by the commissioner of public health; and 8 members who shall be appointed by the governor, 2 of whom shall be representatives from community-based organizations that serve state subsidized children in their afterschool and out-of-school time programs, 1 of whom shall be a representative from the Board of Library Commissioners, 1 of whom shall be a superintendent of schools whose district offers afterschool and out-of-school time programs, 1 of whom shall be a representative of private funders supporting afterschool and out-of-school time programs, 1 of whom shall be a representative from the Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership, 1 of whom shall be a representative from the governor’s youth council, and 1 of whom shall be a parent or guardian of a child who benefits from the services of afterschool and out-of-school time programs.

Council members shall be appointed for a term of 4 years. The council shall conduct its first meeting not more than 60 days after the effective date of this act. The council shall evaluate the progress of its efforts not later than 4 years after the first meeting and shall disband unless a majority of the members recognize a continuing need for the council to exist.

The council shall consult with and solicit input from various persons and groups, including, but not limited to: the Massachusetts school building authority; the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents; Massachusetts Elementary School Principals Association; the Massachusetts Association of School Committees; the American Federation of Teachers- MA; the Massachusetts Teacher Association; the Massachusetts Association of Early Education and Care; and the Governor’s Child and Youth Readiness Cabinet.

The council shall review existing state and local programs and policies on afterschool and out-of-school time programs and make recommendations to the department of early education and care, the department of elementary and secondary education, and the department of higher education on model approaches regarding, but not limited to, the following areas:

(a) the alignment of efforts between the department of early education and care, the department of elementary and secondary education, and the non-profit sector on afterschool and out-of-school time programs; (b) opportunities for coordination and collaboration between school districts and community-based afterschool and out-of-school time programs; (c) methods for improving quality and retention in the afterschool and out-of-school time workforce, including enhancing opportunities for professional development and technical assistance; (d) methods to increase access for all children and families to high quality afterschool and out-of-school time programming; and (e) public and private support to build a sustainable infrastructure for afterschool and out-of- school time programs.

SECTION 2. The department of early education and care, the department of elementary and secondary education, the executive office of health and human services, the executive office of public safety, the department of developmental services, the department of children and families, and the department of labor and workforce development shall each report to the council a description of all state and federal funding expended on afterschool and out-of-school time and the programs such funding supports on or before September 1 for each year that the council exists.

SECTION 3. The council shall meet 4 times annually. The Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership, under the oversight of the Executive Office of Education, shall appoint personnel necessary to coordinate the activities of the council and provide administrative support to the council, as requested.

The council shall prepare and submit an annual progress report concerning the council’s activities with appropriate recommendations concerning afterschool and out-of-school time programs to the governor and the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives, who shall forward the same to the chairs of the joint committee on education and the chairs of the house and senate committees on ways and means on or before December 31 for each year that the council exists.