AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES -- QUALITY OF EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION AND SCHOOL-AGE CHILD CARE THROUGH VOLUNTARY QUALITY RATING SYSTEM (Establishes certain presumptions pertaining to early childhood education programs operating in RIDE-certified school buildings.)

S2433

2026 -- S 2433
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LC004914
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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 -- QUALITY OF EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION AND SCHOOL-AGE CHILD
CARE THROUGH VOLUNTARY QUALITY RATING SYSTEM

Introduced By:
Senators Tikoian, Gallo, DiPalma, Ciccone, Felag, Burke, Murray,
McKenney, Paolino, and LaMountain

Date Introduced:
February 06, 2026

Referred To:
Senate 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) School building presumption for facility-based rating elements.
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(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of the voluntary quality rating system established
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in this section, when a school-age child care program is operated within a RIDE-certified school
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building, any facility-based element of any observational tool or environment rating scale used by
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the Rhode Island quality rating system to assess such program including, without limitation, the
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School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale (SACERS) or any successor or replacement tool, shall
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be deemed met or otherwise treated as neutral for the purpose of determining the program's quality
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rating level.
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(2) The requirement in subsection (d)(1) of this section shall apply to any facility-based
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element including, but not limited to, items, indicators, components, or scoring elements relating
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to room arrangement, space configuration, furnishings, fixtures, storage, building systems, indoor
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or outdoor space characteristics, and staff-only spaces.
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(3) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to waive, diminish, or otherwise affect:
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(i) Any licensure requirement applicable to child care centers or school-age child care
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programs;
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(ii) Any health and safety requirement applicable to the program; or
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(iii) The authority of the department of children, youth and families, the department of
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health, the state fire marshal, the Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary education,
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or any other state agency to enforce applicable laws and regulations.
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(e) Definitions.
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As used in subsections (d) and (f) of this section, the following terms shall have the
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meanings set forth below:
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(2) "RIDE-certified school building" means a building located in the state that is used
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primarily to provide kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) instruction by:
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(i) A local education agency (LEA) or public school district;
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(ii) A charter public school; or
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(iii) An approved non-public school; and
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(iv) That is subject to oversight by the Rhode Island department of elementary and
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secondary education and the council on elementary and secondary education, including applicable
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health and safety requirements and standards under the basic education program pursuant to § 16-
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22-34, or other governance structure approved by the Rhode Island department of elementary and

LC004914 - Page 2 of 4
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secondary education.
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(1) "Facility-based element" means any item, indicator, component, scoring element, or
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sub-element within an observational tool or environment rating scale used by the Rhode Island
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quality rating system that assesses, rates, or scores the physical environment, space, layout,
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furnishings, fixtures, storage, building systems, or staff-only spaces.
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(3) "School-age child care" and "school-age child care program" shall have the same
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meaning as set forth in subsection (a) of this section including, without limitation, school-age child
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care programs licensed under chapter 12.5 of title 42 and approved under chapter 48 of title 16.
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(f) Implementation - Guidance - Contracts.
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The department of human services shall, in consultation with the Rhode Island department
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of elementary and secondary education and any other partner agencies participating in the Rhode
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Island quality rating system, ensure implementation of subsection (d) of this section not later than
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one hundred eighty (180) days after the effective date of this subsection. Such implementation shall
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include, as applicable, updates to standards, scoring practices, guidance to observers, and
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contractual requirements for any entity administering, coordinating, or conducting assessments for
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the Rhode Island quality rating system.
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SECTION 2. Severability.
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If any provision of this act or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held
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invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the validity of the remainder of the act shall not be
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affected thereby.
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SECTION 3. 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 -- QUALITY OF EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION AND SCHOOL-AGE CHILD
CARE THROUGH VOLUNTARY QUALITY RATING SYSTEM
***
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This act would amend the statute establishing Rhode Island's voluntary quality rating
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system for early care and education and school-age child care by requiring that, for school-age child
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care programs operating in RIDE-certified school buildings, facility-based elements of
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observational tools or environment rating scales (including SACERS or successor tools) be deemed
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met or treated neutrally in order that such facility-based elements do not reduce a program's quality
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rating level.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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