1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to human services; authorizing the commissioner of education to increase 
1.3 	early learning scholarship amounts; appropriating money for early childhood 
1.4 	professional development;amending Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 124D.165, 
1.5 	subdivision 3.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 124D.165, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
1.8 		Subd. 3.Administration. (a) The commissioner shall establish application timelines 
1.9 	and determine the schedule for awarding scholarships that meets operational needs of eligible 
1.10 	families and programs. The commissioner must give highest priority to applications from 
1.11 	children who:
1.12 	(1) have a parent under age 21 who is pursuing a high school diploma or a course of 
1.13 	study for a high school equivalency test;
1.14 	(2) are in foster care or otherwise in need of protection or services; or
1.15 	(3) have experienced homelessness in the last 24 months, as defined under the federal 
1.16 	McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, United States Code, title 42, section 11434a.
1.17 	The commissioner may prioritize applications on additional factors including family 
1.18 	income, geographic location, and whether the child's family is on a waiting list for a publicly 
1.19 	funded program providing early education or child care services.
1.20 	(b) The commissioner shall establish a target for the average scholarship amount per 
1.21 	child based on the results of the rate survey conducted under section 119B.02. The 
2.1 	commissioner may increase the scholarship amount for children attending a program with 
2.2 	a four-star rating in the quality rating and improvement system.
2.3 	(c) A four-star rated program that has children eligible for a scholarship enrolled in or 
2.4 	on a waiting list for a program beginning in July, August, or September may notify the 
2.5 	commissioner, in the form and manner prescribed by the commissioner, each year of the 
2.6 	program's desire to enhance program services or to serve more children than current funding 
2.7 	provides. The commissioner may designate a predetermined number of scholarship slots 
2.8 	for that program and notify the program of that number. For fiscal year 2018 and later, the 
2.9 	statewide amount of funding directly designated by the commissioner must not exceed the 
2.10 	funding directly designated for fiscal year 2017. Beginning July 1, 2016, a school district 
2.11 	or Head Start program qualifying under this paragraph may use its established registration 
2.12 	process to enroll scholarship recipients and may verify a scholarship recipient's family 
2.13 	income in the same manner as for other program participants.
2.14 	(d) A scholarship is awarded for a 12-month period. If the scholarship recipient has not 
2.15 	been accepted and subsequently enrolled in a rated program within ten months of the 
2.16 	awarding of the scholarship, the scholarship cancels and the recipient must reapply in order 
2.17 	to be eligible for another scholarship. A child may not be awarded more than one scholarship 
2.18 	in a 12-month period.
2.19 	(e) A child who receives a scholarship who has not completed development screening 
2.20 	under sections 121A.16 to 121A.19 must complete that screening within 90 days of first 
2.21 	attending an eligible program.
2.22 	(f) For fiscal year 2017 and later, a school district or Head Start program enrolling 
2.23 	scholarship recipients under paragraph (c) may apply to the commissioner, in the form and 
2.24 	manner prescribed by the commissioner, for direct payment of state aid. Upon receipt of 
2.25 	the application, the commissioner must pay each program directly for each approved 
2.26 	scholarship recipient enrolled under paragraph (c) according to the metered payment system 
2.27 	or another schedule established by the commissioner.

2.28 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for scholarships awarded after June 30, 
2.29 	2019.

2.30 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATIONS; EARLY CHILDHOOD PROFESSIONAL 
2.31 	DEVELOPMENT.
 2.32 	(a) $....... in fiscal year 2020 and $....... in fiscal year 2021 are appropriated from the 
2.33 	general fund to the commissioner of human services to supplement retaining early childhood 
3.1 	educators through grants funded by federal Child Care Development Fund quality set-aside 
3.2 	funds and administered by the commissioner through a contract with Child Care Aware of 
3.3 	Minnesota.
3.4 	(b) $....... in fiscal year 2020 and $....... in fiscal year 2021 are appropriated from the 
3.5 	general fund to the commissioner of human services to supplement child development 
3.6 	associate credential awards and scholarships funded by federal Child Care Development 
3.7 	Fund quality set-aside funds and administered by the commissioner through a contract with 
3.8 	Child Care Aware of Minnesota.
3.9 	(c) $....... in fiscal year 2020 and $....... in fiscal year 2021 are appropriated from the 
3.10 	general fund to the commissioner of human services to supplement federal Child Care 
3.11 	Development Fund quality set-aside funds in order to provide a printed copy of the Minnesota 
3.12 	early childhood indicators of progress to each child care provider who participates in training 
3.13 	modules related to the Minnesota early childhood indicators of progress or who is pursuing 
3.14 	a child development associate credential. As practicable, the commissioner shall minimize 
3.15 	the number of providers who receive more than one printed copy of the Minnesota early 
3.16 	childhood indicators of progress.