House File 378 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 378 BY PETTENGILL A BILL FOR An Act relating to the requirements for early childhood Iowa 1 areas. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2617YH (3) 84 jp/nh
H.F. 378 Section 1. Section 256I.6, subsection 4, Code 2011, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 4. If the state board determines exceptional circumstances 3 exist , the composition of a multicounty area is not in the best 4 interests of the counties involved, or there is other good 5 cause for making an exception , the state board may waive any of 6 the criteria otherwise specified in subsection 3 . 7 Sec. 2. Section 256I.7, subsection 1, Code 2011, is amended 8 to read as follows: 9 1. a. The early childhood Iowa functions for an area shall 10 be performed under the authority of an early childhood Iowa 11 area board. The A majority of the members of an area board 12 shall be elected officials or members of the public who are 13 not employed by a provider of services to or for the area 14 board. In addition, the membership of an area board shall 15 include representation from early care, education, health, 16 human services, business, and faith interests, and at least one 17 parent, grandparent, or guardian of a child from zero through 18 age five. 19 b. Terms of office of area board members shall be not more 20 than three years , the terms shall be renewable, and the terms 21 shall be staggered. 22 EXPLANATION 23 This bill relates to the requirements for early childhood 24 Iowa areas under Code chapter 256I. 25 Under current law in Code section 256I.6, the state early 26 childhood Iowa board is required to apply the following 27 criteria for designation of an early childhood Iowa area’s 28 boundaries: an area cannot encompass more than four counties, 29 the counties encompassing a multicounty area must have 30 contiguous borders, and a single county area must have a 31 minimum population of children zero through age five in excess 32 of 5,000. Current law allows the state board to waive any of 33 the criteria if exceptional circumstances exist. The bill also 34 allows a waiver if the composition of a multicounty area is 35 -1- LSB 2617YH (3) 84 jp/nh 1/ 2
H.F. 378 not in the best interests of the counties involved or there is 1 other good cause for making an exception. 2 The bill modifies a restriction on the membership of an 3 early childhood Iowa area board in Code section 256I.7 that 4 the membership must all be elected officials or members of the 5 public who are not employed by a provider of services to or 6 for the area board. The bill provides that a majority of the 7 membership of an area board must comply with the restriction. 8 In addition, the bill specifies that the membership terms of 9 board members are renewable. 10 -2- LSB 2617YH (3) 84 jp/nh 2/ 2