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B26-0004 • 2025

Early Childhood Educator Pay Scales Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Early Childhood Educator Pay Scales Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Children Education
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Mendelson
Last action
2025-02-07
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text lists different minimum salaries for October 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024, and January 1, 2025 onwards; this summary focuses on the primary update starting in 2025 as per the bill title.

Early Childhood Educator Pay Scales Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

This emergency law updates the minimum salaries that child development facilities must pay assistant and lead teachers to receive funds from the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Program.

What This Bill Does

  • Sets new minimum salary amounts for assistant and lead teachers starting January 1, 2025, based on their education level or credentials.
  • Requires child development facilities with contracts to receive money from the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund to use those funds to pay at least these minimum salaries.
  • Updates legal definitions in existing law regarding 'child development homes' and clarifies what counts as a CDA credential.
  • Directs the Department of Human Services to issue guidance on how facilities can align salary rules with teacher qualification regulations.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Child development centers, child development homes, and expanded child development home caregivers that have contracts or agreements with the District government for funding.
  • Assistant teachers and lead teachers working in these settings who are paid using funds from the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund.

Terms To Know

CDA
A Child Development Associate credential recognized by the Council for Professional Recognition or a state-awarded certificate that meets similar requirements, as defined by the Department.
Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund
The specific fund from which child development facilities receive money to pay teacher salaries at minimum levels set by this law.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This act is an emergency measure and remains in effect for no longer than 90 days after approval.
  • Salary requirements apply only to facilities that have entered into a contract or agreement with the Department to receive monies from the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund.

Bill History

  1. 2025-02-07 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0001 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 001126, Expires on Apr 29, 2025

  2. 2025-02-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  3. 2025-01-29 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0001, Expires on Apr 29, 2025

  4. 2025-01-23 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Feb 06, 2025

  5. 2025-01-07 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  6. 2025-01-07 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  7. 2025-01-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0004 Introduced by Chairman Mendelson at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Early Childhood Educator Pay Scales Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
ANACT.
D.C. ACT 26-1
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
JANUARY 29, 2025
‘Toamend,onanemergencybasis,duetocongressionalreview,theDayCarePolicyActof1979toupdatetheminimumsalarieschilddevelopmentfacilitiesmustpayassistantandleadteachersbeginninginJanuary2025toparticipateintheEarlyChildhoodEducatorPayEquityProgram.
BEITENACTEDBY THECOUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA,Thatthisactmaybecitedasthe“EarlyChildhoodEducatorPayScalesCongressionalReviewEmergencyAmendment Act of 2025”.
Sec.2.TheDayCarePolicyActof1979,effectiveSeptember19,1979(D.C.Law3-16:D.C.OfficialCode§4-401efseq.),isamendedasfollows:(a)Section2(D.C.OfficialCode§4-401)isamendedasfollows:(1)Paragraph(1)(B)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“anexpandedchilddevelopmenthome”andinsertingthephrase“achilddevelopmenthomeoranexpandedchilddevelopmenthome”initsplace.(2)Paragraph(1D)isamendedtoreadasfollows:“(1D) The term “CDA” means a childdevelopment associatecredential
recognizedbytheCouncilforProfessionalRecognitionandacceptedbytheDepartmenttodemonstratecompetencyasacaregiverforyoungchildrenorastate-awardedcertificatethatmeetsorexceedstherequirementsforachilddevelopmentassociatecredential,asdefinedbytheDepartment.”.
(3)Paragraph(4B)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“education.”andinserting
thephrase“educationorarelatedfield,asidentifiedbytheDepartment'sregulationsgoverningthequalificationsofchilddevelopmentfacilityleadteachersandassistantteachers.”initsplace.(b)Section 11b (D.C. OfficialCode § 4-410.02)isamended as follows:
(1)Subsection(b)isamendedtoreadasfollows:“(b)FromOctober1,2024,throughDecember31,2024,childdevelopmentfacilitiesthatenterorhaveenteredintoacontractoragreementwiththeDepartmenttoreceivemoniesfrom

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
theEarlyChildhoodEducatorPayEquityFundshallusesuchmoniestopay,atminimum,the
salariesforassistantandleadteacherslistedintables1and2ofthissubsection:

|Table1:AssistantTeacher Minimum Salaries

CredentialLevel inimum salary
[Lessthana CDA $43,865/year
(CDA $51,006/year
[Associate $54,262/year

Table2:Lead Teacher Minimum Salaries

(CredentialLevel Minimumsalary
(CDA or 48 credithourswithgreaterthan}
wrequalto 15 credithoursinECE
[854,262/year

[AssociateinECEorAssociatewithlgreaterthanorequalto24credithoursinECE
[563,838/year

[Bachelor'sinECE or Bachelor’swith
jgreaterthanorequalto24 credithours
[875,103/year

jinECE.
(2)New subsections(b-1)and (b-2)are added to read as follows:
“(b-1)BeginningJanuary1,2025,childdevelopmentfacilitiesthatenterorhaveenteredintoacontractoragreementwiththeDepartmenttoreceivemoniesfromtheEarlyChildhoodEducatorPayEquityFundshallusesuchmoniestopay,atminimum,thesalariesforassistantandleadteacherslistedintables|and2ofthissubsection:

Table1:AssistantTeacherMinimum Salaries

CredentialLevel [MinimumSalary
ENROLLED ORIGINAL

CDA $51,006/year($24,52/hour)
Associatedegreeorhigheror60hoursofcollege-level '$54,262/yearcourseworkinanyfield ($26.09/hour)

Table 2:Lead TeacherMinimum Salaries

CredentialLevel MinimumSalaryChilddevelopmentcenterteacherorexpandedchilddevelopment| $51,006/yearhomecaregiverwithaCDA (24.52/hour)
ChilddevelopmenthomecaregiverwithaCDA $54,262/year($26.09/hour)
AssociateinECE;associatewithatleast12credithoursinECE;| $63,838/year60collegecredithourswithatleast12credithoursinECE ($30.69/hour)
Bachelor’sorhigherinECE;orBachelor’swithatleast12eredit_|$75,103/year
hoursinECE ($36.11/hour)
“(b-2)TheDepartmentshallissueguidancetoassistchilddevelopmentfacilitieswithaligningtheminimumsalaryrequirementsinsubsections(b)and(b-1)ofthissectionwiththequalificationsforchilddevelopmentfacilityassistantandleadteachersithasestablishedbyregulation.”.
(3)Subsection(¢)(1)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“Tables1and2to”andinsertingthephrase“tables1and2insubsection(b-l)ofthissectionto”initsplace.
Sec.3.Fiscalimpactstatement.TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementoftheBudgetDirectorasthefiscalimpactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approvedOctober16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a).
Sec.4.Effectivedate.ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto),andshallremainineffectfornolongerthan90days,asprovidedforemergencyactsoftheCounciloftheDistrictofColumbiainsection
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
412(a)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.788;D.C.OfficialCode§1-204.12(a)).
i
airman.
Councilof theDistrictof Columbia

Districtbf Colunttia
APPROVED
January29,2025
COUNCILOF THE DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

[XJITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR,

DAcTION FinalReading,CC
[DCVOTEDATE January7,2025
[xqVoicevoTE Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
[JROLLCALLVOTE-Resutt

[CouncitMember[Aye[NayNV|AB[Rec|CounciiMember[Aye|Nay|NV[AB|Rec|CouncitMember| Aye[Nay|NV|AB
‘ChairmanMendelson|X Henderson x Pinto
Allen x LewisGeorge_| X R White
Bonds x McDuffie x T white
Felder x Nadeau x
Frumin x Parker x
X-IndicateVote AB ~Absent NV-Present,NotVoting Rec-Recused
ceenmcamOnRECORDSSP Fa RoeDate
SecrelarytotheCounc