The General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6899 aims to establish pay equity for early childhood educators through the introduction of a salary enhancement grant program, which will be administered by the Office of Early Childhood starting July 1, 2025. The bill defines key terms related to early childhood education and mandates the development of a compensation schedule that outlines eligibility criteria, registration processes, and distribution requirements for the grants. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, and each subsequent year, early childhood care and education programs will receive grants based on their salary enhancement amounts, which must be distributed to employees according to the established policy.

Furthermore, the bill repeals and replaces Section 10-531 of the general statutes to align with the new definitions and requirements, specifically removing the previous definition of "employee" that referenced staff qualifications and replacing it with a definition focused on eligibility criteria per the new compensation schedule. The bill also requires an analysis of how the compensation schedule will impact the availability of preschool seats and its integration into any quality rating and improvement system. By January 1, 2026, the compensation schedule must be amended to include employees of early childhood care and education programs, thereby enhancing financial support and recognition for early childhood educators.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 10-531
KID Joint Favorable Change of Reference: 10-531
ED Joint Favorable Change of Reference: 10-531