House File 650 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY FORD
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the responsibilities of the child development
2 coordinating council and the standing appropriation for
3 programs for at=risk children.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 256A.2, unnumbered paragraph 1, Code
1 2 2005, is amended to read as follows:
1 3 A child development coordinating council is established to
1 4 promote the provision of child development services to at=risk
1 5 three=year=and four=year=old children from birth through five
1 6 years of age who are members of families whose annual incomes
1 7 are less than one hundred thirty percent of the poverty
1 8 guidelines established by the United States department of
1 9 management and budget. The program under which the council
1 10 promotes the provision of child development services may be
1 11 known and cited as the shared visions model. The council
1 12 shall consist of the following members:
1 13 Sec. 2. Section 256A.3, subsections 2, 3, and 7, Code
1 14 2005, are amended to read as follows:
1 15 2. Establish minimum guidelines for comprehensive early
1 16 child development services for at=risk three=year=and four=
1 17 year=old children from birth through five years of age. The
1 18 guidelines shall reflect current research findings on the
1 19 necessary components for cost=effective child development
1 20 services. The guidelines shall require that providers of
1 21 child development services that receive grant funds pursuant
1 22 to this chapter and section 279.51 employ a practitioner
1 23 licensed under chapter 272 who holds an endorsement
1 24 authorizing the practitioner to teach at the prekindergarten
1 25 and kindergarten levels.
1 26 3. At least biennially, develop an inventory of child
1 27 development services provided to at=risk three=year=and four=
1 28 year=old children from birth through five years of age in this
1 29 state and identify the number of children receiving and not
1 30 receiving these services, the types of programs under which
1 31 the services are received, the degree to which each program
1 32 meets the council's minimum guidelines for a comprehensive
1 33 program, and the reasons children not receiving the services
1 34 are not being served. The council is not required to conduct
1 35 independent research in developing the inventory, but shall
2 1 determine information needs necessary to provide a more
2 2 complete inventory.
2 3 7. Encourage the establishment of regional councils
2 4 designed to facilitate the development on a regional basis of
2 5 programs for at=risk three=year=old and at=risk four=year=old
2 6 children from birth through five years of age.
2 7 Sec. 3. Section 256A.3, subsection 5, paragraph g, Code
2 8 2005, is amended to read as follows:
2 9 g. The degree to which the program complements existing
2 10 programs and services for at=risk three=year=and four=year=
2 11 old children from birth through five years of age available in
2 12 the area, including other child care services, services
2 13 provided through the school district, and services available
2 14 through area education agencies.
2 15 Sec. 4. Section 279.51, subsections 1 and 2, Code 2005,
2 16 are amended to read as follows:
2 17 1. There is appropriated from the general fund of the
2 18 state to the department of education for the fiscal year
2 19 beginning July 1, 2000, and each succeeding fiscal year, the
2 20 sum of twelve twenty million five hundred sixty thousand
2 21 dollars. to be allocated to the child development coordinating
2 22 council established in chapter 256A for the following
2 23 purposes:
2 24 The moneys shall be allocated as follows:
2 25 a. Two hundred seventy=five thousand dollars of the funds
2 26 appropriated shall be allocated to the area education agencies
2 27 to assist school districts in developing program plans and
2 28 budgets under this section and to assist school districts in
2 29 meeting other responsibilities in early childhood education.
2 30 b. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1998, and for
2 31 each succeeding fiscal year, eight million five hundred ten
2 32 thousand dollars of the funds appropriated shall be allocated
2 33 to the child development coordinating council established in
2 34 chapter 256A for the purposes set out in subsection 2 of this
2 35 section and section 256A.3.
3 1 c. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1996, and for
3 2 each fiscal year thereafter, three million five hundred
3 3 thousand dollars of the funds appropriated shall be allocated
3 4 as grants to school districts that have elementary schools
3 5 that demonstrate the greatest need for programs for at=risk
3 6 students with preference given to innovative programs for the
3 7 early elementary school years. School districts receiving
3 8 grants under this paragraph shall at a minimum provide
3 9 activities and materials designed to encourage children's
3 10 self=esteem, provide role modeling and mentoring techniques in
3 11 social competence and social skills, and discourage
3 12 inappropriate drug use. The grant allocations made in this
3 13 paragraph may be renewed for additional periods of time. Of
3 14 the amount allocated under this paragraph for each fiscal
3 15 year, seventy=five thousand dollars shall be allocated to
3 16 school districts which have an actual student population of
3 17 ten thousand or less and have an actual non=English speaking
3 18 student population which represents greater than five percent
3 19 of the total actual student population for grants to
3 20 elementary schools in those districts.
3 21 d. Notwithstanding section 256A.3, subsection 6, of the
3 22 amount appropriated in this subsection for the fiscal year
3 23 beginning July 1, 1996, and for each succeeding fiscal year,
3 24 two and one=fourth percent may be used for administrative
3 25 costs. Any reduction of an allocation under this subsection
3 26 as necessary to fund the provisions of this paragraph shall be
3 27 made from the allocation in paragraph "b".
3 28 2. Funds allocated under subsection 1, paragraph "b",
3 29 shall be used by the child development coordinating council
3 30 for the following:
3 31 a. To continue funding for programs previously funded by
3 32 grants awarded under section 256A.3 and to provide additional
3 33 grants under section 256A.3. The council shall seek to
3 34 provide grants on the basis of the location within the state
3 35 of children meeting at=risk definitions.
4 1 b. At the discretion of the child development coordinating
4 2 council, award grants for the following:
4 3 (1) To school districts to establish programs for three=
4 4 year=old, four=year=old, and five=year=old at=risk children
4 5 from birth through five years of age which are a combination
4 6 of preschool and full=day kindergarten.
4 7 (2) To provide grants to provide educational support
4 8 services to parents of at=risk children age birth through
4 9 three five years.
4 10 EXPLANATION
4 11 This bill changes the purposes for which the general
4 12 assembly appropriates moneys to the department of education
4 13 for purposes of providing programs for at=risk children who
4 14 are members of families whose annual income is less than 130
4 15 percent of the poverty guidelines established by the United
4 16 States department of management and budget.
4 17 Currently, the Code includes a standing appropriation for
4 18 $12,560,000 which is allocated to the area education agencies
4 19 to assist school districts in developing program plans and
4 20 budgets related to early childhood education; to the child
4 21 development coordinating council, for purposes of at=risk
4 22 programs for three=year=old, four=year=old, and five=year=old
4 23 children and for the parents of at=risk children from birth
4 24 through age three; and for grants to school districts that
4 25 have elementary schools that demonstrate the greatest need for
4 26 programs for at=risk students; and to the department for
4 27 administrative costs.
4 28 The bill increases the standing appropriation and allows it
4 29 to be used only for at=risk children from birth through five
4 30 years of age and requires that the minimum guidelines for
4 31 comprehensive early child development services established by
4 32 the childhood development coordinating council require
4 33 providers of child development services that receive grants
4 34 from the council to employ practitioners who are licensed by
4 35 the board of educational examiners and who are authorized by
5 1 the board to teach at the prekindergarten and kindergarten
5 2 levels.
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