House File 2442 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY PETERSEN Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to early childhood programs by creating an early 2 childhood Iowa advisory council. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 6111HH 82 5 jp/nh/5 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 28.9, subsection 5, Code 2007, is 1 2 amended to read as follows: 1 3 5. Acommunity empowerment gifts and grantsfirst years 1 4 first account is created in the Iowa empowerment fund under 1 5 the authority of the department of management. The account 1 6 shall consist of gift or grant moneys obtained from any 1 7 source, including but not limited to the federal government. 1 8 Moneys credited to the account are appropriated to the 1 9 department of management to be used for the community 1 10 empowerment=related purposes for which the moneys were 1 11 received. 1 12 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 135.155 EARLY CHILDHOOD IOWA 1 13 ADVISORY COUNCIL. 1 14 1. COUNCIL CREATED. An early childhood Iowa advisory 1 15 council is created as an alliance of stakeholders in early 1 16 care, health, and education systems that affect children ages 1 17 zero through five in Iowa. 1 18 2. PURPOSE. The purpose of the early childhood Iowa 1 19 advisory council is to support the development of an Iowa 1 20 early childhood system by integrating the early care, health, 1 21 and education systems addressing the needs of children ages 1 22 zero through five and their families. The advisory council 1 23 shall advise the governor, general assembly, and public and 1 24 private policy bodies and service providers in addressing its 1 25 purpose. 1 26 3. VISION STATEMENT. All activities of the system 1 27 addressed by the advisory council shall be aligned around the 1 28 following vision statement for the children of Iowa: "Every 1 29 child, beginning at birth, will be healthy and successful." 1 30 4. MEMBERSHIP. The advisory council membership shall 1 31 include a representative of any organization that touches the 1 32 lives of young children in the state ages zero through five, 1 33 has endorsed the purpose and vision statement for the advisory 1 34 council, has endorsed the guiding principles adopted by the 1 35 advisory council for the early childhood system, and has 2 1 formally asked to be a member and remains actively engaged in 2 2 council activities. The advisory council shall designate 2 3 additional members to ensure there is geographic, cultural, 2 4 and ethnic diversity among the membership. 2 5 5. PROCEDURE. Except as otherwise provided by law, the 2 6 advisory council shall determine its own rules of procedure 2 7 and operating provisions. 2 8 6. STEERING COMMITTEE. The advisory council shall operate 2 9 with a steering committee to organize, manage, and coordinate 2 10 the activities of the advisory council and its component 2 11 groups. The steering committee may act on behalf of the 2 12 advisory council as necessary. The steering committee 2 13 membership shall consist of the co=chairpersons of the 2 14 advisory council's component groups, the chairperson of the 2 15 state agency liaison team, the community empowerment 2 16 facilitator or the facilitator's designee, and other leaders 2 17 designated by the advisory council. 2 18 7. COMPONENT GROUPS. The advisory council shall establish 2 19 component groups to address the key components of the Iowa 2 20 early childhood system. Each component group shall have one 2 21 private and one public agency co=chairperson. The advisory 2 22 council may change the component groups as deemed necessary by 2 23 the advisory council. Initially, there shall be a component 2 24 group for each of the following: 2 25 a. Governance planning and administration. 2 26 b. Professional development. 2 27 c. Public engagement. 2 28 d. Quality services and programs. 2 29 e. Resources and funding. 2 30 f. Results accountability. 2 31 8. STATE AGENCY LIAISON TEAM. A state agency liaison team 2 32 shall support the efforts of the advisory council. In 2 33 addition to designees of the governor, the team shall consist 2 34 of the directors or chief administrators, or their designees, 2 35 from the following state agencies and programs: 3 1 a. Child health specialty clinics. 3 2 b. Office of community empowerment in the department of 3 3 management. 3 4 c. Department of education. 3 5 d. Office of the governor. 3 6 e. Department of human rights. 3 7 f. Department of human services. 3 8 g. Iowa state university extension service. 3 9 h. Department of public health. 3 10 9. DUTIES. In addition to the advisory function specified 3 11 in subsection 2, the advisory council's duties shall include 3 12 but are not limited to all of the following regarding the Iowa 3 13 early childhood system: 3 14 a. Adopt and update a strategic plan for developing the 3 15 system. 3 16 b. Regularly assess progress in implementing the strategic 3 17 plan. 3 18 c. Review, design, and participate in cross=functional 3 19 proposals. 3 20 d. Develop a common understanding of all parts of the 3 21 system. 3 22 e. Assess, understand, and respond to internal and 3 23 external threats to the system. 3 24 f. Serve as a liaison to constituency groups. 3 25 g. Move the system toward seamless services to children 3 26 and families through braided funding streams. 3 27 h. Maximize resources and expertise across the system. 3 28 i. Agree on common language and terminology for the 3 29 system. 3 30 j. Develop a menu of best practices and rationales for 3 31 quality services. 3 32 k. Encourage personal relationships across disciplines. 3 33 l. Serve as an advocate for the system. 3 34 m. Identify guiding principles for the early childhood 3 35 system and the agencies providing services in the system. 4 1 n. Work with the Iowa empowerment board in developing 4 2 public=private partnerships to support the early childhood 4 3 system through the first years first account in the Iowa 4 4 empowerment fund and other efforts for expanding investment of 4 5 private funding in the early childhood system. As this and 4 6 similar efforts to expand and coordinate investments from all 4 7 public and private sources evolve and mature, make 4 8 recommendations for designation of or contracting with a 4 9 private nonprofit organization to serve as a fiscal agent for 4 10 the early childhood system or another approach for increasing 4 11 public and private investment in the system. 4 12 o. Report annually by December 31 to the governor and 4 13 general assembly. The report content shall include but is not 4 14 limited to all of the following: 4 15 (1) The status and results of the advisory council's 4 16 efforts to engage the public regarding the early care, health, 4 17 and education needs of children ages zero through five and the 4 18 efforts to develop and promote private sector involvement with 4 19 the early childhood system. 4 20 (2) The status of the efforts to improve the key 4 21 components of the early childhood system and the progress in 4 22 achieving the results identified for the key components. 4 23 (3) The status of the community empowerment initiative and 4 24 the overall early childhood system in achieving the following 4 25 initial set of desired results identified in section 28.2: 4 26 (a) Healthy children. 4 27 (b) Children ready to succeed in school. 4 28 (c) Safe and supportive communities. 4 29 (d) Secure and nurturing families. 4 30 (e) Secure and nurturing early care and education 4 31 environments. 4 32 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 135.156 LEAD AGENCY AND OTHER STATE 4 33 AGENCIES. 4 34 1. The lead agency for support of the early childhood Iowa 4 35 advisory council for state agency efforts to develop an early 5 1 childhood system for Iowa shall be the department of public 5 2 health. 5 3 2. The department shall work with the advisory council in 5 4 integrating early care, health, and education systems to 5 5 develop an early childhood system for Iowa. The department 5 6 shall do all of the following in developing the system: 5 7 a. Work with state agencies to enter into memorandums of 5 8 understanding outlining the agencies' responsibilities in the 5 9 system. 5 10 b. Work with private businesses, foundations, and 5 11 nonprofit organizations in implementing a public=private 5 12 partnership to develop and provide funding for the system. 5 13 c. Maintain an internet site for distributing the 5 14 information provided through the advisory council and its 5 15 component groups. 5 16 EXPLANATION 5 17 This bill relates to early childhood programs by creating 5 18 the early childhood Iowa advisory council to support the 5 19 development of an early childhood system for Iowa by 5 20 integrating early care, health, and education systems. 5 21 Code section 28.9, relating to the community empowerment 5 22 fund, is amended to change the name of the community 5 23 empowerment gifts and grants account within the fund to the 5 24 first years first account. 5 25 New Code section 135.155 creates the advisory council, and 5 26 includes a purpose and vision statement, provides that the 5 27 council membership is open to a representative of any 5 28 organization that touches the lives of young children in the 5 29 state ages zero through five, authorizes the council to adopt 5 30 its own procedures, provides for creation of component groups 5 31 and for a steering committee consisting of the co=chairpersons 5 32 of the component groups and others, provides for a state 5 33 agency team to support the activities of the advisory council, 5 34 and outlines the duties of the advisory council. 5 35 New Code section 135.156 designates the department of 6 1 public health as the lead agency for the support of the 6 2 development and integration of an early childhood system for 6 3 Iowa. The lead agency's duties include working with state 6 4 agencies to enter into memorandums of understanding outlining 6 5 the agencies' responsibilities in the system; working with 6 6 private businesses, foundations, and nonprofit organizations 6 7 in implementing a public=private partnership to develop and 6 8 provide funding for the system; and maintaining an internet 6 9 site for the advisory council and its component groups. 6 10 LSB 6111HH 82 6 11 jp/nh/5.1