SF 2565

as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 03/21/2019 03:31pm

A bill for an act
relating to human services; authorizing the commissioner of education to increase
early learning scholarship amounts; appropriating money for early childhood
professional development; amending Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 124D.165,
subdivision 3.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 124D.165, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Administration.

(a) The commissioner shall establish application timelines
and determine the schedule for awarding scholarships that meets operational needs of eligible
families and programs. The commissioner must give highest priority to applications from
children who:

(1) have a parent under age 21 who is pursuing a high school diploma or a course of
study for a high school equivalency test;

(2) are in foster care or otherwise in need of protection or services; or

(3) have experienced homelessness in the last 24 months, as defined under the federal
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, United States Code, title 42, section 11434a.

The commissioner may prioritize applications on additional factors including family
income, geographic location, and whether the child's family is on a waiting list for a publicly
funded program providing early education or child care services.

(b) The commissioner shall establish a target for the average scholarship amount per
child based on the results of the rate survey conducted under section 119B.02. new text begin The
commissioner may increase the scholarship amount for children attending a program with
a four-star rating in the quality rating and improvement system.
new text end

(c) A four-star rated program that has children eligible for a scholarship enrolled in or
on a waiting list for a program beginning in July, August, or September may notify the
commissioner, in the form and manner prescribed by the commissioner, each year of the
program's desire to enhance program services or to serve more children than current funding
provides. The commissioner may designate a predetermined number of scholarship slots
for that program and notify the program of that number. For fiscal year 2018 and later, the
statewide amount of funding directly designated by the commissioner must not exceed the
funding directly designated for fiscal year 2017. Beginning July 1, 2016, a school district
or Head Start program qualifying under this paragraph may use its established registration
process to enroll scholarship recipients and may verify a scholarship recipient's family
income in the same manner as for other program participants.

(d) A scholarship is awarded for a 12-month period. If the scholarship recipient has not
been accepted and subsequently enrolled in a rated program within ten months of the
awarding of the scholarship, the scholarship cancels and the recipient must reapply in order
to be eligible for another scholarship. A child may not be awarded more than one scholarship
in a 12-month period.

(e) A child who receives a scholarship who has not completed development screening
under sections 121A.16 to 121A.19 must complete that screening within 90 days of first
attending an eligible program.

(f) For fiscal year 2017 and later, a school district or Head Start program enrolling
scholarship recipients under paragraph (c) may apply to the commissioner, in the form and
manner prescribed by the commissioner, for direct payment of state aid. Upon receipt of
the application, the commissioner must pay each program directly for each approved
scholarship recipient enrolled under paragraph (c) according to the metered payment system
or another schedule established by the commissioner.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for scholarships awarded after June 30,
2019.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS; EARLY CHILDHOOD PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT.
new text end

new text begin (a) $....... in fiscal year 2020 and $....... in fiscal year 2021 are appropriated from the
general fund to the commissioner of human services to supplement retaining early childhood
educators through grants funded by federal Child Care Development Fund quality set-aside
funds and administered by the commissioner through a contract with Child Care Aware of
Minnesota.
new text end

new text begin (b) $....... in fiscal year 2020 and $....... in fiscal year 2021 are appropriated from the
general fund to the commissioner of human services to supplement child development
associate credential awards and scholarships funded by federal Child Care Development
Fund quality set-aside funds and administered by the commissioner through a contract with
Child Care Aware of Minnesota.
new text end

new text begin (c) $....... in fiscal year 2020 and $....... in fiscal year 2021 are appropriated from the
general fund to the commissioner of human services to supplement federal Child Care
Development Fund quality set-aside funds in order to provide a printed copy of the Minnesota
early childhood indicators of progress to each child care provider who participates in training
modules related to the Minnesota early childhood indicators of progress or who is pursuing
a child development associate credential. As practicable, the commissioner shall minimize
the number of providers who receive more than one printed copy of the Minnesota early
childhood indicators of progress.
new text end