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