HB 2373 - DIGEST

     Creates the office of child care and early education as an executive branch agency.

     Declares that the primary duties of the office are to coordinate and consolidate child care and early learning programs in order to administer programs and grant funding as efficiently as possible.  The office's duties include, but are not limited to, the following:  (1) To administer child care and early learning programs;

     (2) to the extent possible under federal and state law, to standardize financial audits, oversight visits, performance, benchmarks, and licensing criteria, so that programs can function in an integrated fashion; and

     (3) to coordinate state agency efforts to purchase, deliver, and arrange child care effectively.

     Transfers all powers, duties, and functions of the higher education coordinating board, the state board for community and technical colleges, the office of financial management, the department of personnel, the department of community, trade, and economic development, the child care coordinating committee, the department of social and health services, the department of health, the family policy council, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the department of labor and industries, and the Washington council for the prevention of child abuse and neglect pertaining to child care and early learning programs to the office of child care and early education.

     Provides that the act shall be null and void if appropriations are not approved.