Substitute Senate Bill No. 1 establishes the Early Childhood Education Endowment, effective July 1, 2025, as a state instrumentality responsible for managing funds for early childhood education, which will not be considered a state agency, ensuring its funds remain separate from state funds. The bill outlines funding mechanisms, including the potential transfer of up to $300 million from the General Fund based on estimated surpluses, and specifies that funds must supplement existing resources rather than replace them. The Commissioner of Early Childhood is authorized to expend these funds for programs meeting certain criteria, with a focus on health insurance subsidies and expanding early childhood education services. The bill also creates the Early Childhood Education Endowment Advisory Board to oversee fund administration and requires an impact analysis every five years to evaluate the endowment's effectiveness.

Additionally, the bill introduces amendments to existing laws regarding special education services, including provisions for competitive grants to enhance special education programming, requirements for criminal history checks for educators, and new guidelines for the expulsion and suspension of students, particularly addressing the needs of homeless students. It establishes a cabinet to improve early childhood education services, modifies the structure of the Commissioner’s Network of Schools, and mandates local boards of education to submit itemized cost estimates for maintaining public schools. The bill repeals outdated language and replaces it with updated provisions to ensure clarity and compliance with current educational standards, aiming to enhance the quality and accessibility of education in Connecticut.

Statutes affected:
Committee Bill: 3-13c, 10-505b, 10-227, 10-198d, 10-222, 10-248a, 10-222o, 8-265pp, 10-4q, 10-14u, 10-14y, 10-262h, 10-265h, 10-265o, 10-265p, 10-265q, 12-635
ED Joint Favorable: 3-13c, 10-505b, 10-227, 10-198d, 10-222, 10-248a, 10-222o, 8-265pp, 10-4q, 10-14u, 10-14y, 10-262h, 10-265h, 10-265o, 10-265p, 10-265q, 12-635
File No. 637: 3-13c, 10-505b, 10-227, 10-198d, 10-222, 10-248a, 10-222o, 8-265pp, 10-4q, 10-14u, 10-14y, 10-262h, 10-265h, 10-265o, 10-265p, 10-265q, 12-635
JUD Joint Favorable: 3-13c, 10-505b, 10-227, 10-198d, 10-222, 10-248a, 10-222o, 8-265pp, 10-4q, 10-14u, 10-14y, 10-262h, 10-265h, 10-265o, 10-265p, 10-265q, 12-635
APP Joint Favorable: 3-13c, 10-505b, 10-227, 10-198d, 10-222, 10-248a, 10-222o, 8-265pp, 10-4q, 10-14u, 10-14y, 10-262h, 10-265h, 10-265o, 10-265p, 10-265q, 12-635
Public Act No. 25-93: 3-13c, 10-262j, 10-232a, 10-198d, 10-222, 10-248a