HF 1997

as introduced - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 03/02/2017 01:23pm

A bill for an act
relating to education; health; modifying child eligibility for the early learning
scholarship program; modifying the administration of the early learning scholarship
program; establishing a targeted home visiting grant program for high-risk
populations; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2016, section
124D.165, subdivisions 1, 2, 3.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 124D.165, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Establishment; purpose.

There is established an early learning
scholarships program in order to deleted text begin increase deleted text end new text begin close the opportunity gap by increasing new text end access to
high-quality early childhood programs for children deleted text begin ages three deleted text end new text begin from birth new text end to new text begin age new text end five.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2017.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 124D.165, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Family eligibility.

(a) For a family to receive an early learning scholarship,
parents or guardians must meet the following eligibility requirements:

(1) have a child deleted text begin three or four deleted text end new text begin not yet five new text end years of age on September 1 of the current
school year, who has not yet started kindergarten; and

(2) have income equal to or less than 185 percent of federal poverty level income in the
current calendar year, or be able to document their child's current participation in the free
and reduced-price lunch program or child and adult care food program, National School
Lunch Act, United States Code, title 42, sections 1751 and 1766; the Food Distribution
Program on Indian Reservations, Food and Nutrition Act, United States Code, title 7, sections
2011-2036; Head Start under the federal Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act
of 2007; Minnesota family investment program under chapter 256J; child care assistance
programs under chapter 119B; the supplemental nutrition assistance program; or placement
in foster care under section 260C.212.

(b) deleted text begin Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, a parent under age 21 who is
pursuing a high school or general education equivalency diploma is eligible for an early
learning scholarship if the parent has a child age zero to five years old and meets the income
eligibility guidelines in this subdivision.
deleted text end

deleted text begin (c) deleted text end Any siblings deleted text begin between the ages zero to deleted text end new text begin from birth to age new text end five deleted text begin years old deleted text end of a child who
has been awarded a scholarship under this section must be awarded a scholarship upon
request, provided the sibling attends the same program as long as funds are available.

deleted text begin (d) deleted text end new text begin (c) new text end A child who has received a scholarship under this section must continue to receive
a scholarship each year until that child is eligible for kindergarten under section 120A.20
and as long as funds are available.

deleted text begin (e) deleted text end new text begin (d) new text end Early learning scholarships may not be counted as earned income for the purposes
of medical assistance under chapter 256B, MinnesotaCare under chapter 256L, Minnesota
family investment program under chapter 256J, child care assistance programs under chapter
119B, or Head Start under the federal Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of
2007.

deleted text begin (f) deleted text end new text begin (e) new text end A child from an adjoining state whose family resides at a Minnesota address as
assigned by the United States Postal Service, who has received developmental screening
under sections 121A.16 to 121A.19, who intends to enroll in a Minnesota school district,
and whose family meets the criteria of paragraph (a) is eligible for an early learning
scholarship under this section.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2017.
new text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, 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. new text begin The commissioner must give highest priority to applications from
children who:
new text end

new text begin (1) have a parent under age 21 who is pursuing a high school or general education
equivalency diploma;
new text end

new text begin (2) are in foster care or otherwise in need of protection or services; or
new text end

new text begin (3) have experienced homelessness, as defined under the federal McKinney-Vento
Homeless Assistance Act, in the last 24 months.
new text end

The commissioner may prioritize applications on new text begin additional new text end 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) deleted text begin For fiscal years 2014 and 2015 only, scholarships may not exceed $5,000 per year
for each eligible child. deleted text end For fiscal year 2016 and later, 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.

(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. 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.

Sec. 4. new text begin APPROPRIATION; TARGETED HOME VISITING FOR HIGH-RISK
POPULATIONS.
new text end

new text begin $....... in fiscal year 2018 and $....... in fiscal year 2019 are appropriated from the general
fund to the commissioner of health for community-led targeted home visiting services to
families living in poverty targeting first-time mothers and high-risk families with children
prenatal through age five.
new text end

Sec. 5. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Department of Education. new text end

new text begin The sums indicated in this section are
appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education for the fiscal years
designated.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Early learning scholarships. new text end

new text begin (a) For the early learning scholarship program
under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.165:
new text end

	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin ....... new text end	new text begin ..... new text end	new text begin 2018 new text end
	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin ....... new text end	new text begin ..... new text end	new text begin 2019 new text end

new text begin Up to $950,000 each year is for administration of this program. Any balance in the first
year does not cancel but is available in the second year.
new text end

new text begin (b) Of these amounts, up to five percent in each year is for transfer to the commissioner
of human services for expansion of the quality rating and improvement system under
Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.142. The amount transferred under this paragraph must
be reduced by the amount of any federal funding in that year for the system under Minnesota
Statutes, section 124D.142.
new text end