House File 675 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY TYMESON, UPMEYER, CHAMBERS,
and HEATON
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to early childhood programs available through the
2 community empowerment initiative.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 2948YH 81
5 jp/pj/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 28.4, Code 2005, is amended by adding
1 2 the following new subsections:
1 3 NEW SUBSECTION. 13. With the assistance of the state
1 4 departments represented on the Iowa empowerment board and the
1 5 community empowerment office, develop and implement
1 6 requirements for community empowerment areas and the
1 7 administrators of the programs listed in section 28.10 to
1 8 annually report to the public regarding the results produced
1 9 by the community empowerment initiative and by the programs.
1 10 Supporting information shall also be required to be made
1 11 available with the report, including but not limited to the
1 12 methodology applied to identify the results, a copy of any
1 13 form utilized, background data used in developing the report,
1 14 and other information to assist a reader in assessing the
1 15 quality and accuracy of the data provided by the report.
1 16 NEW SUBSECTION. 14. With the assistance of the state
1 17 departments represented on the Iowa empowerment board and the
1 18 community empowerment office, develop and implement an
1 19 internet=based system providing a single point of contact for
1 20 use by a parent in accessing the community empowerment area
1 21 programs and state programs listed in section 28.10 that are
1 22 available in the parent's area. The system shall provide
1 23 capacity for a community empowerment area to implement an
1 24 internet site or internet page for that area in lieu of a
1 25 statewide site or page.
1 26 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 28.10 COLOCATION OF STATE EARLY
1 27 CHILDHOOD STAFF == LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.
1 28 1. FINDINGS AND INTENT. The state of Iowa provides
1 29 funding, support, and technical assistance for programs
1 30 directed to children from birth to age five utilizing a number
1 31 of separate funding streams and state agencies. For early
1 32 childhood programs, the community empowerment initiative has
1 33 been instrumental in improving coordination and collaboration
1 34 between the funding streams and state agencies by empowering
1 35 Iowans to assume a leadership role at the community level.
2 1 The general assembly finds that colocating the administrative
2 2 staff associated with various state agency early childhood
2 3 programs will further enhance the degree of collaboration and
2 4 efficiency. It is the intent of the general assembly that at
2 5 an appropriate time, the programs and associated agency staff
2 6 listed in this section will be consolidated under the
2 7 authority of the Iowa empowerment board.
2 8 2. COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT OFFICE. The community
2 9 empowerment office of the department of management shall
2 10 establish an office site to colocate the programs and staff
2 11 listed in this section. The colocation effort shall be
2 12 completed by the close of the fiscal year that begins on July
2 13 1, 2005.
2 14 3. PROGRAMS AND AGENCIES IDENTIFIED. The following
2 15 programs and the departmental administrative staff associated
2 16 with the programs shall be relocated to the office site
2 17 established by the community empowerment office:
2 18 a. The following programs and associated staff under the
2 19 authority of the department of education:
2 20 (1) Center=based special education programs.
2 21 (2) The child portion of the child and adult care food
2 22 program.
2 23 (3) The early childhood network operated by the department
2 24 of education and area education agencies.
2 25 (4) The early childhood special education program.
2 26 (5) The early head start and head start programs.
2 27 (6) The even start family literacy program.
2 28 (7) Iowa shared visions preschool programs for children
2 29 ages three to five years, implemented under the auspices of
2 30 the child development coordinating council.
2 31 (8) Iowa shared visions parent support programs
2 32 implemented under the auspices of the child development
2 33 coordinating council.
2 34 (9) The school ready children grant program implemented
2 35 under the community empowerment initiative.
3 1 b. The following programs and associated staff under the
3 2 authority of the department of human services:
3 3 (1) Child abuse prevention grants.
3 4 (2) Early childhood programs grants implemented under the
3 5 community empowerment initiative.
3 6 (3) Child care programs implemented under chapter 237A.
3 7 (4) Community=based family resource programs.
3 8 (5) The promoting safe and stable families grant program.
3 9 c. The following programs and associated staff under the
3 10 authority of the Iowa department of public health:
3 11 (1) Child health programs.
3 12 (2) The childhood immunization program.
3 13 (3) The childhood lead poisoning prevention program
3 14 implemented pursuant to section 135.101.
3 15 (4) The community=based family resource and support grant
3 16 program funded through the federal administration for children
3 17 and families, United States department of health and human
3 18 services.
3 19 (5) The healthy child care Iowa program.
3 20 (6) The healthy opportunities for parents to experience
3 21 success=healthy families Iowa (HOPES=HFI) program implemented
3 22 under section 135.106.
3 23 Sec. 3. FEDERAL COORDINATION INITIATIVE. If the
3 24 opportunity is offered by the federal government, the Iowa
3 25 empowerment board and the state agencies represented on the
3 26 board shall apply for Iowa to participate in a head start
3 27 pilot program designed to promote coordination of state head
3 28 start, preschool, and child care programs into a comprehensive
3 29 early childhood system.
3 30 EXPLANATION
3 31 This bill relates to early childhood programs available
3 32 through the community empowerment initiative.
3 33 Code section 28.4, relating to the duties of the Iowa
3 34 empowerment board, is amended. The board is directed to
3 35 implement requirements for community empowerment areas and the
4 1 programs listed in the bill to annually report to the public
4 2 regarding the results produced by the community empowerment
4 3 initiative and by the programs. In addition, the board is
4 4 required to develop and implement an internet=based system
4 5 providing a single point of contact for use by a parent to
4 6 access the community empowerment area and state programs
4 7 available in the parent's area.
4 8 New Code section 28.10 directs the community empowerment
4 9 office in the department of management to establish office
4 10 space to physically colocate the programs listed in the bill
4 11 and the departmental administrative staff associated with
4 12 those programs. The process of colocation is required to be
4 13 completed by the close of fiscal year 2005=2006. The programs
4 14 are administered by the departments of education, human
4 15 services, and public health. The bill states legislative
4 16 intent to consolidate the programs under the authority of the
4 17 Iowa empowerment board at an appropriate time.
4 18 If the opportunity is offered by the federal government,
4 19 the Iowa empowerment board and the state agencies represented
4 20 on the board (departments of economic development, education,
4 21 human services, and public health) are directed to apply for
4 22 Iowa to participate in a head start pilot program designed to
4 23 promote coordination of state head start, preschool, and child
4 24 care programs into a comprehensive early childhood system.
4 25 LSB 2948YH 81
4 26 jp:nh/pj/5