1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education finance; requiring 50 percent of early education scholarship 
1.3 	funds be awarded to residents of greater Minnesota;amending Laws 2011, First 
1.4 	Special Session chapter 11, article 7, 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 scholarship 
1.16 	if the parent or legal guardian:
1.17 	(1) has a child three or four years of age on September 1, beginning in calendar 
1.18 	year 2012; and
1.19 	(2)(i) has income equal to or less than 47 percent of the state median income in the 
1.20 	current calendar year; or
1.21 	(ii) can document their child's identification through another public funding 
1.22 	eligibility process, including the Free and Reduced Price Lunch Program, National School 
1.23 	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 	(c) Each year, the Department of Education must award one-half of the early 
2.4 	childhood education scholarship money to parents and legal guardians who reside in the 
2.5 	seven-county metropolitan area and the other half to parents and legal guardians who live 
2.6 	in greater Minnesota. If any money remains from either half after the initial applications, 
2.7 	the commissioner may use that money to make early education scholarships in the 
2.8 	other region. If this appropriation is insufficient to provide early childhood education 
2.9 	scholarships to all eligible children, the Department of Education shall make scholarships 
2.10 	available on a first-come, first-served basis within each of the two geographic regions of 
2.11 	the state.
2.12 	(d) The commissioner of education shall submit a written report to the education 
2.13 	committees of the legislature by January 15, 2012, describing its plan for implementation 
2.14 	of scholarships under this subdivision for the 2012-2013 school year.
2.15 	(e) Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is available in the second year.
2.16 	(f) The base for this program is $2,000,000 each year.

2.17 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.