SF 4240

as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 03/11/2020 03:48pm

A bill for an act
relating to early childhood; removing a funding framework linked to the quality
rating and improvement system; amending eligibility criteria for a program to
accept early learning scholarships; amending Minnesota Statutes 2018, sections
124D.142; 124D.165, subdivision 4.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 124D.142, is amended to read:

124D.142 QUALITY RATING AND IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM.

(a) There is established a quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) framework to
ensure that Minnesota's children have access to high-quality early learning and care programs
in a range of settings so that they are fully ready for kindergarten by 2020. Creation of a
standards-based voluntary quality rating and improvement system includes:

(1) quality opportunities in order to improve the educational outcomes of children so
that they are ready for school. The framework shall be based on the Minnesota quality rating
system rating tool and a common set of child outcome and program standards and informed
by evaluation results;

(2) a tool to increase the number of publicly funded and regulated early learning and
care services in both public and private market programs that are high quality. If a program
or provider chooses to participate, the program or provider will be rated deleted text begin and may receive deleted text end new text begin
but eligibility for new text end public funding new text begin shall not be new text end associated with new text begin or depend upon new text end the rating deleted text begin . The
state shall develop a plan to link future early learning and care state funding to the framework
in a manner that complies with federal requirements deleted text end ; and

(3) tracking progress toward statewide access to high-quality early learning and care
programs, progress toward the number of low-income children whose parents can access
quality programs, and progress toward increasing the number of children who are fully
prepared to enter kindergarten.

(b) In planning a statewide quality rating and improvement system framework in
paragraph (a), the state shall use evaluation results of the Minnesota quality rating system
rating tool in use in fiscal year 2008 to recommend:

(1) a framework of a common set of child outcome and program standards for a voluntary
statewide quality rating and improvement system; new text begin and
new text end

(2) deleted text begin a plan to link future funding to the framework described in paragraph (a), clause (2);
and
deleted text end

deleted text begin (3) deleted text end a plan for how the state will realign existing state and federal administrative resources
to implement the voluntary quality rating and improvement system framework. The state
shall provide the recommendation in this paragraph to the early childhood education finance
committees of the legislature by March 15, 2011.

(c) Prior to the creation of a statewide quality rating and improvement system in paragraph
(a), the state shall employ the Minnesota quality rating system rating tool in use in fiscal
year 2008 in the original Minnesota Early Learning Foundation pilot areas and additional
pilot areas supported by private or public funds with its modification as a result of the
evaluation results of the pilot project.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 124D.165, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

Early childhood program eligibility.

deleted text begin (a) In order to be eligible to accept an
early learning scholarship, a program must:
deleted text end

deleted text begin (1) participate in the quality rating and improvement system under section 124D.142;
and
deleted text end

deleted text begin (2) beginning July 1, 2020, have a three- or four-star rating in the quality rating and
improvement system.
deleted text end

new text begin (a) A program is eligible to receive an early learning scholarship regardless of its
participation in the quality rating and improvement system under section 124D.142.
new text end

(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.