Connecticut SB 137: AN ACT CONCERNING DATA PRIVACY BREACHES.

Bill Text

Substitute Senate Bill No. 137

Public Act No. 26-105

AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE
OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 10-16z of the 2026 supplement to
the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu
thereof (Effective July 1, 2026):
(a) There is established the Early Childhood Cabinet. The cabinet
shall consist of: (1) The Commissioner of Early Childhood, or the
commissioner's designee, (2) the Commissioner of Education, or the
commissioner's designee, (3) the Commissioner of Social Services, or the
commissioner's designee, (4) the chancellor of the Connecticut State
Colleges and Universities, or the chancellor's designee, (5) the
Commissioner of Public Health, or the commissioner's designee, (6) the
Commissioner of Developmental Services, or the commissioner's
designee, (7) the Commissioner of Children and Families, or the
commissioner's designee, (8) the executive director of the Commission
on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity or the executive
director's designee, (9) the project director of the Connecticut Head Start
State Collaboration Office, (10) a parent or guardian of a child who
attends or attended a school readiness program appointed by the
minority leader of the House of Representatives, (11) a representative of

Substitute Senate Bill No. 137

Public Act No. 26-105 2 of 12

a local provider of early childhood education appointed by the minority
leader of the Senate, (12) a representative of the Connecticut Family
Resource Center Alliance appointed by the majority leader of the House
of Representatives, (13) a representative of a state-funded child care
center appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, (14) two
appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom
is a member of a board of education for a town designated as an alliance
district, as defined in section 10-262u, and one of whom is a parent who
has a child attending a school in an educational reform district, as
defined in section 10-262u, (15) two appointed by the president pro
tempore of the Senate, one of whom is a representative of an association
of early education and child care providers and one of whom is a
representative of a public elementary school with a prekindergarten
program, (16) [ten] eleven appointed by the Governor, one of whom is
a representative of the Connecticut Head Start Association, one of
whom is a representative of the business community in this state, one of
whom is a representative of the philanthropic community in this state,
one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut State Employees
Association, one of whom is an administrator of the child care
development block grant pursuant to the Child Care and Development
Block Grant Act of 1990, one of whom is responsible for administering
grants received under Section 1419 of Part B of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act, 20 USC 1419, as amended from time to time,
one of whom is responsible for administering the provisions of Title I of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, 20 USC 6301 et seq., one
of whom is responsible for coordinating education services to children
and youth who are homeless, one of whom is a licensed family child
care home provider and a member of a staffed family child care network
identified by the Commissioner of Early Childhood, [and] one of whom
is a parent recommended by a parent advisory group that has been
appointed by the Commissioner of Early Childhood, and a physician
licensed pursuant to chapter 370, who is a pediatrician, (17) the
Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, or the secretary's

Substitute Senate Bill No. 137

Public Act No. 26-105 3 of 12

designee, (18) the Lieutenant Governor, or the Lieutenant Governor's
designee, (19) the Commissioner of Housing, or the commissioner's
designee, (20) the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction
Services, or the commissioner's designee, and (21) the executive director
of the Connecticut Library Consortium, or a cooperating library service
unit as defined in section 11-9e, or the executive director's designee.
Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 10-506 of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1,
2026):
(a) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and each fiscal year
thereafter, the Office of Early Childhood, in consultation with the
Department of Education, shall design and administer the Connecticut
Smart Start competitive grant program to provide grants to local and
regional boards of education for capital and operating expenses related
to establishing or expanding a preschool program under the jurisdiction
of the board of education for the town. A local or regional board of
education may submit an application to the office, in accordance with
the provisions of subsection (b) of this sectio