House File 592 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 592 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO HF 184) A BILL FOR An Act relating to the statewide preschool program by modifying 1 provisions relating to eligibility, funding, and compulsory 2 attendance and including applicability provisions. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 2095HV (3) 88 md/jh

H.F. 592 Section 1. Section 135.173A, subsection 4, paragraph p, 1 Code 2019, 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 2019, 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 2019, 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 2019, 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. 28 Sec. 5. Section 256C.2, Code 2019, is amended to read as 29 follows: 30 256C.2 Statewide preschool program for four-year-old young 31 children —— purpose. 32 1. A statewide preschool program for four-year-old young 33 children is established. The purpose of the preschool program 34 is to provide an opportunity for all young children in the 35 -1- LSB 2095HV (3) 88 md/jh 1/ 4

H.F. 592 state to enter school ready to learn by expanding voluntary 1 access to quality preschool curricula for all children who are 2 four years old or who are five years old . 3 2. The state board shall adopt rules in accordance with 4 chapter 17A as necessary to implement the preschool program as 5 provided in this chapter . 6 Sec. 6. Section 256C.3, subsection 1, paragraphs a and b, 7 Code 2019, are amended to read as follows: 8 a. A child who is a resident of Iowa and who is either 9 four years of age o n or before September 15 of a school year 10 or who is five years of age shall be eligible to enroll in 11 the preschool program under this chapter . If such a child is 12 enrolled under this chapter , the child shall be considered to 13 be of compulsory attendance age as provided in section 299.1A, 14 subsection 3 . 15 b. If space and funding are available, including funding 16 from another school district account or fund from which 17 preschool program expenditures are authorized by law, a school 18 district approved to participate in the preschool program may 19 enroll and pay the cost of attendance for a child younger than 20 four years of age or older child in the preschool program than 21 five years of age ; however, the child shall not be counted for 22 state funding purposes. 23 Sec. 7. Section 256C.3, subsection 4, paragraph b, Code 24 2019, is amended to read as follows: 25 b. Subject to implementation of chapter 28E agreements 26 between a school district and community-based providers of 27 services to four-year-old children and five-year-old children , 28 a four-year-old child or five-year-old child who is enrolled 29 in a child care center or child development home licensed or 30 registered under chapter 237A , or in an existing public or 31 private preschool program, shall be eligible for services 32 provided by the school district’s local preschool program. 33 Sec. 8. Section 256C.4, subsection 2, Code 2019, is amended 34 to read as follows: 35 -2- LSB 2095HV (3) 88 md/jh 2/ 4

H.F. 592 2. Eligible student enrollment. 1 a. To be included as an eligible student in the enrollment 2 count of the preschool programming provided by a school 3 district approved to participate in the preschool program, a 4 child must be four years of age by September 15 or be five years 5 of age in the base year and attending the school district’s 6 approved local program. 7 b. The enrollment count of eligible students shall not 8 include a child who is included in the enrollment count 9 determined under section 257.6 or a child who is served by 10 a program already receiving state or federal funds for the 11 purpose of the provision of four-year-old or five-year-old 12 preschool programming while the child is being served by the 13 program. Such preschool programming includes but is not 14 limited to child development assistance programs provided under 15 chapter 256A , special education programs provided under section 16 256B.9 , school ready children grant programs and other programs 17 provided under chapter 256I , and federal head start programs 18 and the services funded by Tit. I of the federal Elementary and 19 Secondary Education Act of 1965. 20 Sec. 9. Section 298A.2, subsection 2, paragraph a, 21 subparagraph (1), Code 2019, is amended to read as follows: 22 (1) An approved local program under the statewide preschool 23 program for four-year-old young children under chapter 256C . 24 Sec. 10. Section 298A.2, subsection 2, paragraph c, 25 subparagraph (1), Code 2019, is amended to read as follows: 26 (1) Start-up costs for an approved local program under the 27 statewide preschool program for four-year-old young children 28 under chapter 256C . 29 Sec. 11. Section 299.1A, subsection 3, Code 2019, is amended 30 to read as follows: 31 3. A child who has reached the age of four by September 15 32 or five and who is enrolled in the statewide preschool program 33 under chapter 256C shall be considered to be of compulsory 34 attendance age unless the parent or guardian of the child 35 -3- LSB 2095HV (3) 88 md/jh 3/ 4

H.F. 592 submits written notice to the school district implementing the 1 program of the parent’s or guardian’s intent to remove the 2 child from enrollment in the preschool program. 3 Sec. 12. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to school budget 4 years beginning on or after July 1, 2020. 5 EXPLANATION 6 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 7 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 8 The statewide preschool program for four-year-old children 9 under Code chapter 256C provides that a child who is a resident 10 of Iowa and is four years of age on or before September 15 of 11 a school year shall be eligible to enroll in the preschool 12 program. Additionally, to be included as an eligible student 13 in the enrollment count of the preschool programming for 14 state funding purposes, a child must be four years of age 15 by September 15 in the base year and attending the school 16 district’s approved local program. 17 This bill expands the eligibility and state funding 18 provisions of the statewide preschool program for four-year-old 19 children under Code chapter 256C to also include five-year-old 20 children and removes the statutory September 15 eligibility 21 date. 22 References to four-year-old children in the program named in 23 Code chapter 256C and in related Code provisions are changed 24 to “young children” or expanded to also refer to five-year-old 25 children and Code section 299.1A relating to compulsory 26 education is also modified to reflect changes made in the bill. 27 The bill applies to school budget years beginning on or after 28 July 1, 2020. 29 -4- LSB 2095HV (3) 88 md/jh 4/ 4