Raised Bill No. 326, introduced in the February Session, 2024, is aimed at establishing the Baby's First CT Library Card pilot program. This bill appropriates $40,000 to the Office of Early Childhood from the General Fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. The funds are designated as a grant-in-aid to the organization Read to Grow, which will expand its existing Books for Babies program. The expansion includes providing books and early literacy materials to parents and guardians of newborns born in birthing hospitals in Connecticut, as well as training personnel to administer the program. The bill is effective from July 1, 2024, and introduces a new section to the statutes.

The purpose of the bill is to support early literacy and provide resources to new parents and guardians to encourage reading from birth. The bill does not include any deletions from current law but adds new legal language to establish and fund the pilot program. The bill has been referred to the Committee on Children and is introduced by the identifier (KID). The bill's statement of purpose clearly states its intent to allocate funds for the Baby's First CT Library Card pilot program.