What's happening
This bill removes competitive funding and oversubscription limits for full-day pre-kindergarten, guaranteeing sufficient slots statewide except New York City.
Why it matters
Guaranteed access to full-day pre-K outside NYC. By mandating that every region except New York City must provide enough state-funded pre-K slots for all qualifying programs, the bill ensures that eligible children have access without being turned away due to funding caps or lottery-based selection.
Eliminates competition among districts for funding. Removing the competitive grant process and associated scoring means school districts and providers no longer have to compete against each other to receive funding for pre-K programs, potentially reducing administrative burdens and allowing more equitable distribution.
Removes oversubscription limits in most regions. The bill eliminates the provision that previously allowed only a set number of slots in oversubscribed regions (other than NYC), so programs in those areas won’t be limited by regional funding ceilings and can serve all interested families.
Maintains a funding cap for New York City. While the rest of the state will receive funding sufficient for all qualifying programs, New York City’s funding remains capped at $300 million, which could create disparities in access between NYC and other regions.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Pre-K Funding Statewide
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Expand Pre-K Slots Statewide
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Amy Paulin
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
650
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by Sen. GALLIVAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the universal full-day pre-kindergarten program; and to repeal subdivision 4 of section
3602-ee of such law relating thereto
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 4 of section 3602-ee of the education law is REPEALED.
§ 2. Subdivisions 1 and 5 of section 3602-ee of the education law, as added by section 1 of part CC of chapter 56 of the laws of 2014, are amended to read as follows:
1. The purpose of the universal full-day pre-kindergarten program is to incentivize and fund state-of-the-art innovative pre-kindergarten programs [and to encourage program creativity through competition].
5. The department shall develop a scoring system, which it shall use to evaluate which applications shall be funded [on a competitive basis] based on merit and factors including but not limited to the criteria listed above and student and community need. [Upon review of applications, if the program is oversubscribed in any region or regions of the state, the department shall notify the division of the budget, which shall develop a plan for distribution of available slots within any oversubscribed region.] The subscription for the New York city region is three hundred million dollars. The subscription for each region of the state other than the New York city region shall be in an amount sufficient to provide slots for all qualifying programs. The department shall allocate full-day pre-kindergarten conversion slots and new full-day pre-kindergarten slots based on available funding and shall make payments upon documentation of eligible expenditures in the base year, which shall be limited to the actual number of slots operated and paid on a per-pupil basis pursuant to subdivision fourteen of this section.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01061-01-5
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to the universal full-day pre-kindergarten program; and to repeal subdivision 4 of section 3602-ee of such law relating thereto
Purpose
To enable all school districts in the state to participate in the state- wide universal full-day pre-kindergarten program.
Summary of provisions
Section one repeals subdivision 4 of section 3602-ee.
Section two removes the competitive elements of the program and provides that the subscription for each region of the state other than the New York city region shall be in an amount sufficient to provide slots for all, qualifying programs.
Section three provides the effective date.
Justification
Although New York enacted a statewide universal full-day pre-kindergar- ten program, many districts outside of New York City have not been able to participate since they have to compete with other districts for limited funds.
This legislation would remove the competitive element from the program, so that any district that applies and meets the requirements of the program would receive funding. Many school districts outside of New York City have not started pre-kindergarten programs because they have not been able to receive funding under the current program. In fact, in the 2015-16 school year, 82% of four-year-olds outside of New York City did not have full-day pre-kindergarten. This legislation would ensure that all four-year-olds in the state have access to full-day pre-kindergar- ten.
Legislative history
2023-24: S.230/A.955 Referred to Education
2021-22: S.2568/A.823 Referred to Education
2019-20: S.1894/A.1249 Referred to Education
2017-18: S.7362/A.8506 Advanced to 3rd Reading/Referred to Education
Fiscal implications
None
Effective date
The first of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.