WEST virginia legislature
2025 regular session
Committee Substitute
for
Senate Bill 922
By Senator Maynard
[Reported March 25, 2025, from the Committee on Health and Human Resources]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new article, designated §18-3A-1, §18-3A-2, §18-3A-3, §18-3A-4, and §18-3A-5, relating to coordinating early childhood education in West Virginia; setting forth program’s purpose; requiring the West Virginia Department of Education and Department of Health to coordinate programs; requiring reporting; and setting forth effective date.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
Article 3A. West Virginia EARLY ChildHOOD EDUCATION COORDINATION ACT. §18-3A-1. Short title.
This act shall be known as the West Virginia Early Childhood Education Coordination Act.
§18-3A-2. Purpose.
The purpose of this act is to coordinate and enhance early childhood education and childcare services in West Virginia by requiring the West Virginia Department of Education's Pre-K, Birth to Three, and other early childhood education programs coordinate service delivery. This initiative aims to improve access, affordability, and quality of early childhood education prograns and childcare for working families while ensuring continuity of care and education from birth to school entry.
§18-3A-3. Program Administration.
(a) The West Virginia Department of Education and the Department of Health, with input from local school districts, Head Start programs, licensed childcare providers, and parent advocacy groups, shall identify programs providing early childhood education to children in the state, including but not limited, to Pre-K and Birth to Three;
(b) Once the programs have been identified, the West Virginia Department of Education and the Department of Health shall coordinate service delivery to ensure that a child, if eligible, will receive all early childhood education benefits available;
(c) The coordination of service delivery may include, but not be limited to, determining eligibility for each program, sharing eligibility information between programs with the appropriate consent, or conducting a warm handoff between programs of the parent or guardian and the child.
§18-3A-4. Accountability and Oversight.
(b) The Department of Health shall submit an annual report to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability detailing program enrollment, fiscal expenditures, child development outcomes, and areas for improvement beginning July 1, 2026 and July 1 annually thereafter.
§18-3A-5. Effective Date.
This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.