STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2862--A 2015-2016 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 29, 2015 ___________ Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Commerce, Economic Devel- opment and Small Business -- recommitted to the Committee on Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the economic development law, in relation to the "child- care and early education sector on the economy act" The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as 2 the "childcare and early education sector on the economy act". 3 § 2. Legislative findings and purpose. The legislature hereby finds 4 and declares that there appears to be a serious shortage of high-quality 5 childcare and early education options in communities throughout New York 6 state. There is a strong consensus among researchers that childcare and 7 early education programs provide a substantial economic payoff to commu- 8 nities where they are located. The legislature declares that it is 9 crucial for the governor and legislators to obtain reliable, objective 10 information about the economic benefits and burdens of investing in 11 expanded childcare and early education programs within the state. 12 The purpose of this act is to study the economic impact on the state 13 economy of quality childcare and early education programs for children 14 aged 0-4, and after-school programs for children aged 5-12. 15 § 3. The economic development law is amended by adding a new article 16 23 to read as follows: 17 ARTICLE 23 18 ECONOMIC IMPACT OF CHILDCARE AND EARLY EDUCATION SECTOR 19 Section 450. Definitions. 20 451. Study of the economic impact of the childcare industry. 21 452. Nature of the study. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD06544-02-6