House File 357 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  KAUFMANN


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to preschool support provided through school
  2    ready children grants under the community empowerment
  3    initiative.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  5 TLSB 1336YH 83
  6 jp/nh/5

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 28.8, subsection 3, paragraph a, Code
  1  2 2009, is amended to read as follows:
  1  3    a.  Preschool services provided on a voluntary basis to
  1  4 children deemed at risk of not succeeding in elementary school
  1  5 as determined by the community board and specified in the
  1  6 grant plan developed in accordance with this section.  If
  1  7 funding provided through the school ready children grants
  1  8 account of the Iowa empowerment fund is designated for
  1  9 assisting low=income parents or families with preschool
  1 10 tuition, the funding may also be used to address needs for
  1 11 resources other than preschool services for children in
  1 12 families that have significant challenges or needs that impair
  1 13 the children's school readiness or ability to benefit from
  1 14 preschool, regardless of income eligibility.  These challenges
  1 15 or needs apply to children newborn through five years of age
  1 16 and include but are not limited to acclimatization to the
  1 17 community or society, specialized language support, physical
  1 18 or mental disability, and sign language or other specialized
  1 19 communication or difficulty with communication.
  1 20                           EXPLANATION
  1 21    This bill relates to preschool support provided through
  1 22 school ready children grants under the community empowerment
  1 23 initiative by amending Code section 28.8, relating to
  1 24 requirements for the grant program.
  1 25    The bill provides that if funding provided through the
  1 26 grants account is designated for assisting low=income parents
  1 27 or families with preschool tuition, the funding may also be
  1 28 used to address needs for resources other than preschool
  1 29 services for children in families that have significant
  1 30 challenges or needs that impair the children's school
  1 31 readiness or ability to benefit from preschool, regardless of
  1 32 income eligibility.  The eligible challenges and needs apply
  1 33 to children from birth through age five and include but are
  1 34 not limited to acclimatization to the community or society,
  1 35 specialized language support, physical or mental disability,
  2  1 and sign language or other specialized communication or
  2  2 difficulty with communication.
  2  3 LSB 1336YH 83
  2  4 jp/nh/5