1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to early childhood education; appropriating money for the parent-child 
1.3 	home program;amending Laws 2011, First Special Session chapter 11, article 7, 
1.4 	section 2, subdivision 8.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Laws 2011, First Special Session chapter 11, article 7, section 2, subdivision 
1.7 	8, is amended to read:
1.8 		Subd. 8.Early childhood education scholarships. For grants to early childhood 
1.9 	education scholarships for public or private early childhood preschool programs for 
1.10 	children ages 3 to 5:

1.11		$
	4,000,000
	.....
	2013
	
1.12 	(a) All children whose parents or legal guardians meet the eligibility requirements 
1.13 	of paragraph (b) established by the commissioner are eligible to receive early childhood 
1.14 	education scholarships under this section.
1.15 	(b) A parent or legal guardian is eligible for an early childhood education 
1.16 	scholarship, to be used for a program provider of the parents' or legal guardians' choice, if 
1.17 	the parent or legal guardian:
1.18 	(1) has a child three or four years of age on September 1, beginning in calendar 
1.19 	year 2012; and
1.20 	(2)(i) has income equal to or less than 47 percent of the state median income in the 
1.21 	current calendar year; or
1.22 	(ii) can document their child's identification through another public funding 
1.23 	eligibility process, including the Free and Reduced Price Lunch Program, National School 
1.24 	Lunch Act, United States Code, title 42, section 1751, part 210; Head Start under federal 
2.1 	Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007; Minnesota family investment 
2.2 	program under chapter 256J; and child care assistance programs under chapter 119B.
2.3 	Each year, if this appropriation is insufficient to provide early childhood education 
2.4 	scholarships to all eligible children, the Department of Education shall make scholarships 
2.5 	available on a first-come, first-served basis.
2.6 	The commissioner of education shall submit a written report to the education 
2.7 	committees of the legislature by January 15, 2012, describing its plan for implementation 
2.8 	of scholarships under this subdivision for the 2012-2013 school year.
2.9 	(c) Of this amount, $250,000 is for a grant to the parent-child home program.
2.10 	(d) Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is available in the second year.
2.11 	(e) The base for this program is $2,000,000 each year.