HF 2729

1st Engrossment - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012) Posted on 03/29/2012 02:53pm

A bill for an act
relating to early childhood education; appropriating money for the parent-child
home program; amending Laws 2011, First Special Session chapter 11, article 7,
section 2, subdivision 8.

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

Section 1.

Laws 2011, First Special Session chapter 11, article 7, section 2, subdivision
8, is amended to read:

Subd. 8.

Early childhood education scholarships.

For grants to early childhood
education scholarships for public or private early childhood preschool programs for
children ages 3 to 5:

$

4,000,000

.....

2013

(a) All children whose parents or legal guardians meet the eligibility requirements
of paragraph (b) established by the commissioner are eligible to receive early childhood
education scholarships under this section.

(b) A parent or legal guardian is eligible for an early childhood education
scholarship new text begin , to be used for a program provider of the parents' or legal guardians' choice, new text end if
the parent or legal guardian:

(1) has a child three or four years of age on September 1, beginning in calendar
year 2012; and

(2)(i) has income equal to or less than 47 percent of the state median income in the
current calendar year; or

(ii) can document their child's identification through another public funding
eligibility process, including the Free and Reduced Price Lunch Program, National School
Lunch Act, United States Code, title 42, section 1751, part 210; Head Start under federal
Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007; Minnesota family investment
program under chapter 256J; and child care assistance programs under chapter 119B.

Each year, if this appropriation is insufficient to provide early childhood education
scholarships to all eligible children, the Department of Education shall make scholarships
available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The commissioner of education shall submit a written report to the education
committees of the legislature by January 15, 2012, describing its plan for implementation
of scholarships under this subdivision for the 2012-2013 school year.

new text begin (c) Of this amount, $250,000 is for a grant to the parent-child home program.
new text end

new text begin (d) new text end Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is available in the second year.

new text begin (e) new text end The base for this program is $2,000,000 each year.