(1) On or before September 1, 2008, the commissioner, in cooperation with the executive director of the department of human services, shall convene a working group to review the issues pertaining to the assignment of a uniquely identifying student number to children who receive state-subsidized or federally subsidized early childhood education services, including but not limited to services provided through the child care development block grant and head start. In convening the working group, the commissioner and the executive director of the department of human services shall include representatives from the department of education and the department of human services and representatives of school districts and other interested stakeholders.

(2) The working group shall adopt protocols by which the department of education, the department of human services, school districts, charter schools, and the early childhood councils, as described in part 1 of article 6.5 of title 26, shall cooperate in assigning the uniquely identifying student numbers. The working group shall also consider methods by which to encourage and facilitate the assignment of uniquely identifying student numbers to students who are receiving early childhood education services that are not subsidized by state or federal funding.

(3) On or before February 1, 2009, the commissioner shall report to the head of the office of information technology the findings and protocols adopted by the working group. The head of the office of information technology shall incorporate the findings and protocols of the working group into the report made to the governor and the state, veterans, and military affairs committees of the house of representatives and the senate, or any successor committees, pursuant to section 24-37.5-707, C.R.S.

(4) Following adoption of the protocols, the state board of education shall promulgate rules pursuant to the "State Administrative Procedure Act", article 4 of title 24, C.R.S., as necessary for the assignment of uniquely identifying student numbers to students receiving early childhood education services. The state board shall collaborate with the state board of human services in promulgating rules as provided in this subsection (4) to ensure that they do not conflict with any rules promulgated by the state board of human services pursuant to section 26-6-121, C.R.S.

(5) The general assembly declares that, for purposes of article IX of the state constitution, cooperation in assigning unique student identifiers to students who receive state-subsidized or federally subsidized early childhood education services is an important element in implementing accountability reporting and may therefore receive funding from the state education fund created in section 17 (4) of article IX of the state constitution.