AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES (Requires BrightStars QRIS ratings for licensed child care facilities to be based on an average of all standards, ensure transparent scoring methods, and preserve automatic five-star ratings for nationally accredited programs.)

H7908

2026 -- H 7908
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LC005553
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN
SERVICES

Introduced By:
Representatives Shallcross Smith, Casey, Cruz, Alzate, Casimiro, and
Fellela

Date Introduced:
February 27, 2026

Referred To:
House Education
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 42-12-23.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-12 entitled
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"Department of Human Services" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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42-12-23.1. Quality of early care and education and school-age child care through
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voluntary quality rating system.
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(a) There is hereby established a voluntary quality rating system which will assess quality
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in early care and education programs and school-age child care. For purposes of this section, early
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care and education programs and school-age child care shall mean programs licensed under chapter
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12.5 of title 42 and approved under chapter 48 of title 16, including, without limitation, childcare
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centers, family childcare homes, group family childcare homes, school-age childcare programs and
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preschools, but excluding child placement agencies. The voluntary quality rating system is
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established to promote continuous quality improvement of programs and to further the goals of
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Rhode Island’s “starting right” initiative.
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(b) The department of human services, the department of children, youth and families, the
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department of health, the department of elementary and secondary education, and other partners
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and agencies shall share information and work cooperatively with the Rhode Island quality rating
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system, a public-private partnership, to ensure that Rhode Island children have access to quality
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early care and education programs and school-age child care.
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(c) The voluntary quality rating system shall also provide a mechanism to gather data about

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program quality, and shall report this information to parents, providers, and other persons interested
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in the quality of early care and education programs and school-age childcare services in Rhode
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Island.
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(d) Any licensed child care facility including, but not limited to, a licensed child care center,
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licensed family child care home, group family child care home, or licensed school age program,
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that applies for a BrightStars quality rating and improvement system (“QRIS”) rating shall have
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the sum of all applicable standards averaged to determine the final awarded rating or star level.
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(e) The department of human services shall ensure that the methodology used to calculate
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the final awarded rating under subsection (d) of this section is transparent, publicly available, and
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consistently applied to all participating licensed child care facilities.
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(f) Nothing in subsection (d) of this section shall alter the existing provision that any
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licensed child care facility upon receiving national accreditation status shall be awarded a five star
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overall assessment through the QRIS.
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(g) The department shall promulgate any rules and regulations necessary to implement the
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provisions of this section, including guidance on the calculation methodology, appeals process, and
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public reporting of ratings.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN
SERVICES
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This act would require BrightStars QRIS ratings for licensed child care facilities to be
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based on an average of all standards, ensure transparent scoring methods, and preserve automatic
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five-star ratings for nationally accredited programs.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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LC005553
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