Facts In Action

The deadline for filing bills for the 2001-2002 legislative session is December 6th. All bills filed by that date will be heard by appropriate committees this winter and spring. After the session begins in January, additional bills can be "late-filed" and will receive their own individual hearings after being sent to committee.

The following proposals are currently being discussed as possible legislative initiatives in the coming session:

• Early Education for All - A number of local foundations are supporting this three-year campaign, led by child advocate Margaret Blood, to establish universal high-quality preschool in Massachusetts. Legislation and/or related budget initiatives are expected to be filed in 2001. For more information about this initiative, contact Amy Kershaw at (617) 574-3550.

• Quality Aid Bill - This bill was first introduced as S.271 by Senator Magnani in the 1999-2000 legislative session. The bill seeks to improve the quality of early education in Massachusetts through several strategies, including: developing a career lattice tied to salary increases, providing direct per child bonuses to programs submitting state-approved quality improvement plans, and providing a scholarship program for early education staff. The bill is expected to be refiled in December. For more information, contact Mary Ann Padien at (617) 722-1640.

• Health Care for Child Care Workers - In the last legislative session, United Way of Massachusetts Bay's Success By 6 initiative led the effort to pass a legislative/budget initiative providing funding for health care coverage for child care providers. This proposal made it as far as the final legislative budget, but was vetoed by Governor Cellucci. This bill is expected to be refiled. For more information, contact Lisa Pickard at (617) 624-8124

Facts in Action, November 2000