Minnesota Legislature
SF 2411
as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 03/11/2016 09:40am
Current Version - as introduced
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A bill for an act
relating to early childhood education; increasing funding for early learning
scholarships, home visiting programs, and parent aware activities; eliminating
the cap on early learning scholarships; expanding the eligible age range for
early learning scholarships; expanding the targeted home visiting program;
appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.165,
as amended; Laws 2015, First Special Session chapter 3, article 9, section 8,
subdivisions 3, 9.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Section 1.
Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.165, as amended by Laws 2015,
First Special Session chapter 3, article 9, section 6, is amended to read:
124D.165 EARLY LEARNING SCHOLARSHIPS.
Subdivision 1.
Establishment; purpose.
There is established an early learning
scholarships program in order to increase access to high-quality early childhood programs
for children ages three to five.
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 three or four 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) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, anew text begin child from birth to age five
and not yet enrolled in kindergarten is eligible for an early learning scholarship if the child's
family meets the income eligibility standard established in paragraph (a), clause (2), and:
new text end
new text begin (1) the child'snew text end parent new text begin is new text end under age 21 deleted text begin whodeleted text end new text begin andnew text end is pursuing a high school or general
education equivalency diploma deleted text begin 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 new text begin ;
new text end
new text begin
(2) the child is in foster care or otherwise a child in need of protection or services; or
new text end
new text begin
(3) the child's family has experienced homelessness in the last 24 months.
new text end
(c) Any siblings between the ages zero to five years old 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.
(d) 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.
(e) 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.
(f) 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.
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 may prioritize applications
on factors includingnew text begin :
new text end
new text begin (1)new text end family incomedeleted text begin ,deleted text end new text begin ;
new text end
new text begin (2)new text end geographic locationdeleted text begin , anddeleted text end new text begin ;
new text end
new text begin (3)new text end whether the child's family is on a waiting list for a publicly funded program
providing early education or child care servicesdeleted text begin .deleted text end new text begin ;
new text end
new text begin
(4) whether the child is in foster care or otherwise a child in need of protection or
services; and
new text end
new text begin
(5) whether the child's family has experienced homelessness in the last 24 months.
new text end
(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.new text begin The commissioner may award a scholarship
in excess of this amount to a child who qualifies for priority enrollment under paragraph
(a), clause (4) or (5).
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. 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.
Subd. 4.
Early childhood program eligibility.
(a) In order to be eligible to accept
an early learning scholarship, a program must:
(1) participate in the quality rating and improvement system under section
124D.142; and
(2) beginning July 1, 2016, have a three- or four-star rating in the quality rating
and improvement system.
(b) Any program accepting scholarships must use the revenue to supplement and not
supplant federal funding.
(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), all Minnesota early learning foundation
scholarship program pilot sites are eligible to accept an early learning scholarship under
this section.
Subd. 5.
Report required.
The commissioner shall contract with an independent
contractor to evaluate the early learning scholarship program. The evaluation must
include recommendations regarding the appropriate scholarship amount, efficiency, and
effectiveness of the administration, and impact on kindergarten readiness. By January
15, 2016, the commissioner shall submit a written copy of the evaluation to the chairs
and ranking minority members of the legislative committees and divisions with primary
jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education.
new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end
new text begin
This section is effective July 1, 2016.
new text end
Sec. 2.
Laws 2015, First Special Session chapter 3, article 9, section 8, subdivision 3,
is amended to read:
Subd. 3.
Early learning scholarships.
For the early learning scholarship program
under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.165:
| $ |
44,134,000 |
..... |
2016 |
|
| $ |
deleted text begin
59,884,000 deleted text end new text begin ....... new text end |
..... |
2017 |
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 begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end
new text begin
This section is effective July 1, 2016.
new text end
Sec. 3.
Laws 2015, First Special Session chapter 3, article 9, section 8, subdivision 9,
is amended to read:
Subd. 9.
Quality Rating System.
For transfer to the commissioner of human
services for the purposes of expanding the Quality Rating and Improvement System under
Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.142, in greater Minnesota and increasing supports for
providers participating in the Quality Rating and Improvement System:
| $ |
1,200,000 |
..... |
2016 |
|
| $ |
deleted text begin
2,300,000 deleted text end new text begin ....... new text end |
..... |
2017 |
Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is available in the second year. The
base for this program in fiscal year 2018 and later is deleted text begin $1,750,000deleted text end new text begin $.......new text end .
new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end
new text begin
This section is effective July 1, 2016.
new text end
Sec. 4. new text begin TARGETED HOME VISITING.
new text end
new text begin
$....... in fiscal year 2017 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner
of health for the targeted home visiting program and is added to the appropriation in Laws
2015, chapter 71, article 14, section 3, subdivision 2. The commissioner may award
pilot grants of up to $....... per grant to at least five providers of home visiting services.
The commissioner must award grants to providers in both the metropolitan area and
greater Minnesota.
new text end