House File 783 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 783 BY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 250) 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 2800HV (1) 88 md/jh

H.F. 783 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 on specified 28 dates as provided in section 256C.3, subsection 1, paragraph 29 “a” . 30 Sec. 5. Section 256C.2, Code 2019, is amended to read as 31 follows: 32 256C.2 Statewide preschool program for four-year-old young 33 children —— purpose. 34 1. A statewide preschool program for four-year-old young 35 -1- LSB 2800HV (1) 88 md/jh 1/ 5

H.F. 783 children is established. The purpose of the preschool program 1 is to provide an opportunity for all young children in the 2 state to enter school ready to learn by expanding voluntary 3 access to quality preschool curricula for all children who are 4 four years old . 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, paragraphs a and b, 9 Code 2019, are amended to read as follows: 10 a. A child who is a resident of Iowa and who is either four 11 years of age on or before September 15 of a school year or who 12 reaches five years of age on or after March 15 but on or before 13 September 15 of the calendar year during which the school year 14 begins shall be eligible to enroll in the preschool program 15 under this chapter . If such a child is enrolled under this 16 chapter , the child shall be considered to be of compulsory 17 attendance age as provided in section 299.1A, subsection 3 . 18 b. If space and funding are available, including funding 19 from another school district account or fund from which 20 preschool program expenditures are authorized by law, a school 21 district approved to participate in the preschool program 22 may enroll and pay the cost of attendance for a younger or 23 older child in the preschool program who does not satisfy the 24 requirements under paragraph “a” ; however, the child shall not 25 be counted for state funding purposes. 26 Sec. 7. Section 256C.3, subsection 4, paragraph b, Code 27 2019, is amended to read as follows: 28 b. Subject to implementation of chapter 28E agreements 29 between a school district and community-based providers of 30 services to four-year-old children and eligible five-year-old 31 children , a four-year-old child or eligible five-year-old child 32 who is enrolled in a child care center or child development 33 home licensed or registered under chapter 237A , or in an 34 existing public or private preschool program, shall be eligible 35 -2- LSB 2800HV (1) 88 md/jh 2/ 5

H.F. 783 for services provided by the school district’s local preschool 1 program. 2 Sec. 8. Section 256C.4, subsection 2, Code 2019, is amended 3 to read as follows: 4 2. Eligible student enrollment. 5 a. To be included as an eligible student in the enrollment 6 count of the preschool programming provided by a school 7 district approved to participate in the preschool program, a 8 child must be four years of satisfy the age by September 15 9 requirements of section 256C.3, subsection 1, paragraph “a” in 10 the base year and be attending the school district’s approved 11 local program. 12 b. The enrollment count of eligible students shall not 13 include a child who is included in the enrollment count 14 determined under section 257.6 or a child who is served by 15 a program already receiving state or federal funds for the 16 purpose of the provision of four-year-old or five-year-old 17 preschool programming while the child is being served by the 18 program. Such preschool programming includes but is not 19 limited to child development assistance programs provided under 20 chapter 256A , special education programs provided under section 21 256B.9 , school ready children grant programs and other programs 22 provided under chapter 256I , and federal head start programs 23 and the services funded by Tit. I of the federal Elementary and 24 Secondary Education Act of 1965. 25 Sec. 9. Section 298A.2, subsection 2, paragraph a, 26 subparagraph (1), Code 2019, is amended to read as follows: 27 (1) An approved local program under the statewide preschool 28 program for four-year-old young children under chapter 256C . 29 Sec. 10. Section 298A.2, subsection 2, paragraph c, 30 subparagraph (1), Code 2019, is amended to read as follows: 31 (1) Start-up costs for an approved local program under the 32 statewide preschool program for four-year-old young children 33 under chapter 256C . 34 Sec. 11. Section 299.1A, subsection 3, Code 2019, is amended 35 -3- LSB 2800HV (1) 88 md/jh 3/ 5

H.F. 783 to read as follows: 1 3. A child who has reached the age of four by September 15 2 or five and who is enrolled in the statewide preschool program 3 under chapter 256C shall be considered to be of compulsory 4 attendance age unless the parent or guardian of the child 5 submits written notice to the school district implementing the 6 program of the parent’s or guardian’s intent to remove the 7 child from enrollment in the preschool program. 8 Sec. 12. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to school budget 9 years beginning on or after July 1, 2020. 10 EXPLANATION 11 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 12 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 13 The statewide preschool program for four-year-old children 14 under Code chapter 256C provides that a child who is a resident 15 of Iowa and is four years of age on or before September 15 of 16 a school year shall be eligible to enroll in the preschool 17 program. Additionally, to be included as an eligible student 18 in the enrollment count of the preschool programming for 19 state funding purposes, a child must be four years of age 20 by September 15 in the base year and attending the school 21 district’s approved local program. 22 This bill expands the eligibility and state funding 23 provisions of the statewide preschool program for four-year-old 24 children under Code chapter 256C to also include five-year-old 25 children who reach the age of five on or after March 15 but on 26 or before September 15 of the calendar year during which the 27 school year begins. 28 References to four-year-old children in the program named in 29 Code chapter 256C and in related Code provisions are changed 30 to “young children” or expanded to also refer to eligible 31 five-year-old children and Code section 299.1A relating to 32 compulsory education is also modified to reflect changes made 33 in the bill. 34 The bill applies to school budget years beginning on or after 35 -4- LSB 2800HV (1) 88 md/jh 4/ 5

H.F. 783 July 1, 2020. 1 -5- LSB 2800HV (1) 88 md/jh 5/ 5