Task Force on Early Childhood Educator Licensure established, report required, appointments provided, and money appropriated.

This bill establishes a Task Force on Early Childhood Educator Licensure in Minnesota to develop a new individual licensure system for educators working with children from birth through kindergarten. The task force will consist of 15 members appointed by the governor, including representatives from the legislature, child care centers, family child care programs, public schools, Tribal communities, Head Start programs, parents, medical professionals, and higher education institutions. The group must meet regularly to propose a plan that creates clear competency frameworks for educator qualifications beyond college degrees and identifies methods for increasing educator compensation based on licensure levels. By March 1, 2027, the task force must submit a report to legislative committees with its findings, recommendations, and an implementation timeline, after which the task force will expire. The bill also appropriates one-time funding from the state's general fund to support the task force's administrative needs.