House File 421 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 421 BY BRECKENRIDGE , HUNTER , KACENA , HANSON , ANDERSON , KEARNS , OURTH , BEARINGER , STECKMAN , COHOON , GASKILL , GAINES , WINCKLER , LENSING , MASCHER , NIELSEN , and THEDE (COMPANION TO SF 98 BY HART) A BILL FOR An Act expanding the statewide preschool program to include 1 certain five-year-old children and including effective date 2 and applicability provisions. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1525YH (2) 87 md/nh

H.F. 421 Section 1. Section 135.173A, subsection 4, paragraph p, 1 Code 2017, is amended to read as follows: 2 p. One person who is part of a local program implementing 3 the statewide preschool program for four-year-old young 4 children under chapter 256C . 5 Sec. 2. Section 135.173A, subsection 6, paragraph f, Code 6 2017, is amended to read as follows: 7 f. Make recommendations for improving collaborations 8 between the child care programs involving the department of 9 human services and programs supporting the education and 10 development of young children including but not limited to the 11 federal head start program; the statewide preschool program 12 for four-year-old young children; and the early childhood, 13 at-risk, and other early education programs administered by the 14 department of education. 15 Sec. 3. Section 256C.1, subsections 1 and 4, Code 2017, are 16 amended to read as follows: 17 1. “Approved local program” means a school district’s 18 program for four-year-old young children approved by the 19 department of education to provide high quality preschool 20 instruction. 21 4. “Preschool program” means the statewide preschool program 22 for four-year-old young children created in accordance with 23 this chapter . 24 Sec. 4. Section 256C.1, Code 2017, is amended by adding the 25 following new subsection: 26 NEW SUBSECTION . 7. “Young children” means children who are 27 four years of age or who are five years of age and have not 28 previously enrolled in a preschool program. 29 Sec. 5. Section 256C.2, Code 2017, is amended to read as 30 follows: 31 256C.2 Statewide preschool program for four-year-old young 32 children —— purpose. 33 1. A statewide preschool program for four-year-old young 34 children is established. The purpose of the preschool program 35 -1- LSB 1525YH (2) 87 md/nh 1/ 4

H.F. 421 is to provide an opportunity for all young children in the 1 state to enter school ready to learn by expanding voluntary 2 access to quality preschool curricula for all children who 3 are four years old or who are five years old and have not 4 previously enrolled in a preschool program . 5 2. The state board shall adopt rules in accordance with 6 chapter 17A as necessary to implement the preschool program as 7 provided in this chapter . 8 Sec. 6. Section 256C.3, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code 9 2017, is amended to read as follows: 10 a. A child who is a resident of Iowa and is four years of 11 age on or before September 15 of a school year or who is five 12 years of age on or before September 15 of a school year and 13 has not previously enrolled in a preschool program shall be 14 eligible to enroll in the preschool program under this chapter . 15 If such a child is enrolled under this chapter , the child shall 16 be considered to be of compulsory attendance age as provided in 17 section 299.1A, subsection 3 . 18 Sec. 7. Section 256C.3, subsection 4, paragraph b, Code 19 2017, is amended to read as follows: 20 b. Subject to implementation of chapter 28E agreements 21 between a school district and community-based providers of 22 services to four-year-old children and five-year-old children , 23 a four-year-old child or eligible five-year-old child who is 24 enrolled in a child care center or child development home 25 licensed or registered under chapter 237A , or in an existing 26 public or private preschool program, shall be eligible for 27 services provided by the school district’s local preschool 28 program. 29 Sec. 8. Section 256C.4, subsection 2, Code 2017, is amended 30 to read as follows: 31 2. Eligible student enrollment. 32 a. To be included as an eligible student in the enrollment 33 count of the preschool programming provided by a school 34 district approved to participate in the preschool program, a 35 -2- LSB 1525YH (2) 87 md/nh 2/ 4

H.F. 421 child must be four years of age by September 15 or be five years 1 of age and meet the criteria under section 256C.3, subsection 2 1, paragraph “a” , in the base year and attending the school 3 district’s approved local program. 4 b. The enrollment count of eligible students shall not 5 include a child who is included in the enrollment count 6 determined under section 257.6 or a child who is served by 7 a program already receiving state or federal funds for the 8 purpose of the provision of four-year-old or five-year-old 9 preschool programming while the child is being served by the 10 program. Such preschool programming includes but is not 11 limited to child development assistance programs provided under 12 chapter 256A , special education programs provided under section 13 256B.9 , school ready children grant programs and other programs 14 provided under chapter 256I , and federal head start programs 15 and the services funded by Tit. I of the federal Elementary and 16 Secondary Education Act of 1965. 17 Sec. 9. Section 299.1A, subsection 3, Code 2017, is amended 18 to read as follows: 19 3. A child who has reached the age of four by September 15 20 or who has reached the age of five by September 15 and who is 21 enrolled in the statewide preschool program under chapter 256C 22 shall be considered to be of compulsory attendance age unless 23 the parent or guardian of the child submits written notice to 24 the school district implementing the program of the parent’s or 25 guardian’s intent to remove the child from enrollment in the 26 preschool program. 27 Sec. 10. EFFECTIVE UPON ENACTMENT. This Act, being deemed 28 of immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment. 29 Sec. 11. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to school budget 30 years beginning on or after July 1, 2017. 31 EXPLANATION 32 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 33 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 34 This bill expands the statewide preschool program for 35 -3- LSB 1525YH (2) 87 md/nh 3/ 4

H.F. 421 four-year-old children under Code chapter 256C to also include 1 five-year-old children who have not previously enrolled in a 2 preschool program under that Code chapter. The program is 3 administered by local school districts subject to rules adopted 4 by the state board of education and receives funding through 5 the school aid formula. 6 References to four-year-old children in the program named in 7 Code chapter 256C and in related Code provisions are changed 8 to “young children” or expanded to also refer to five-year-old 9 children who have not previously enrolled in a preschool 10 program under Code chapter 256C. 11 The bill takes effect upon enactment and applies to school 12 budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2017. 13 -4- LSB 1525YH (2) 87 md/nh 4/ 4