1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to early childhood education; creating an Office of Early Learning;
1.3 	proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 4.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. [4.046] OFFICE OF EARLY LEARNING.
1.6 	 An Office of Early Learning is established to coordinate a high-quality early 
1.7 	childhood system in Minnesota to make such programs more effective and to improve 
1.8 	the educational outcomes of all children. The governor must appoint, subject to the 
1.9 	advice and consent of the senate, a director who is a recognized expert in the field of 
1.10 	early childhood care and education who will be responsible for prekindergarten and child 
1.11 	care programs under this office.

1.12 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2010.

1.13 	Sec. 2. TRANSFER; DUTIES AND STAFF; APPROPRIATIONS.
 1.14 	(a) Responsibilities of the commissioner of education for early childhood education 
1.15 	programs and financing under Minnesota Statutes, sections 119A.50 to 119A.535, 121A.16 
1.16 	to 121A.19, and 124D.129 to 124D.2211, are transferred to the Office of Early Learning. 
1.17 	All positions in the Department of Education related to early childhood education are 
1.18 	transferred to the Office of Early Learning. Responsibilities of the commissioner of 
1.19 	human services for child care assistance, child care development, and early childhood 
1.20 	learning and child protection facilities programs and financing under Minnesota Statutes, 
1.21 	chapter 119B, and Minnesota Statutes, section 256E.37, are transferred to the Office of 
1.22 	Early Learning. All positions in the Department of Human Services related to child care 
2.1 	assistance, child care development, and early childhood learning and child protection 
2.2 	facilities are transferred to the Office of Early Learning. Minnesota Statutes, section 
2.3 	15.039, applies to the transfer of the responsibilities in this section. Responsibilities of the 
2.4 	commissioner of health for family home visiting programs and financing under Minnesota 
2.5 	Statutes, section 145A.17, are transferred to the Office of Early Learning. All positions 
2.6 	in the Department of Health related to family home visiting programs are transferred to 
2.7 	the Office of Early Learning. The office must rely on existing appropriations and staff 
2.8 	for carrying out its duties.
2.9 	(b) The state and federal appropriations for the programs listed in paragraph (a) are 
2.10 	transferred to the Office of Early Learning.

2.11 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2010.

2.12 	Sec. 3. REVISOR'S INSTRUCTION.
 2.13 	The revisor of statutes shall make the following terminology changes in the sections 
2.14 	enumerated in section 2:
2.15 	(1) all references to the commissioner of education shall be changed to the director 
2.16 	of early learning;
2.17 	(2) all references to the commissioner of human services shall be changed to the 
2.18 	director of early learning;
2.19 	(3) all references to the commissioner of health shall be changed to the director of 
2.20 	early learning;
2.21 	(4) all references to the Department of Education shall be changed to the Office 
2.22 	of Early Learning;
2.23 	(5) all references to the Department of Human Services shall be changed to the 
2.24 	Office of Early Learning;
2.25 	(6) all references to the Department of Health shall be changed to the Office of 
2.26 	Early Learning; and
2.27 	(7) all references to programs being transferred to the Office of Early Learning 
2.28 	shall be changed to reflect that those programs are under the jurisdiction of the Office 
2.29 	of Early Learning.

2.30 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.