Senate File 2299 - Reprinted SENATE FILE 2299 BY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 3128) (As Amended and Passed by the Senate April 13, 2016 ) A BILL FOR An Act relating to the early childhood Iowa initiative. 1 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 2 SF 2299 (4) 86 rh/nh/jh

S.F. 2299 Section 1. Section 135.106, subsection 4, Code 2016, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 4. It is the intent of the general assembly that priority 3 for home visitation family support funding be given to 4 approaches using evidence-based or promising models for home 5 visitation family support . 6 Sec. 2. Section 256I.4, subsection 7, paragraph a, Code 7 2016, is amended to read as follows: 8 a. Waiver of existing rules, federal regulation, or 9 amendment of state law, or removal of other barriers. The 10 state board shall consider a community’s current coverage of 11 family support programs and services when responding to an area 12 board’s request for a waiver from the requirement in section 13 256I.9, subsection 3, paragraph “b” . 14 Sec. 3. Section 256I.4, subsection 8, Code 2016, is amended 15 to read as follows: 16 8. Develop and implement a levels of excellence rating 17 system for use with the state board’s designation process for 18 area boards. Allow for flexibility and creativity of area 19 boards in implementing area board responsibilities and provide 20 authority for the area boards to support the communities in the 21 areas served. The levels of excellence rating system shall 22 utilize a tiered approach for recognizing the performance of 23 an area board. The system shall provide for action to address 24 poor performing areas as well as higher performing areas. 25 Subject to the funding requirements and other requirements 26 established in law, if an area board achieves the highest 27 rating level, the state board may allow special flexibility 28 provisions in regard to the funding appropriated or allocated 29 for that area board. The state board shall determine how often 30 area boards are reviewed under the system. 31 Sec. 4. Section 256I.7, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code 32 2016, is amended to read as follows: 33 a. The early childhood Iowa functions for an area shall be 34 performed under the authority of an early childhood Iowa area 35 -1- SF 2299 (4) 86 rh/nh/jh 1/ 8

S.F. 2299 board. The members of an area board shall be elected officials 1 or members of the public who are not employed by a provider of 2 services to or for the area board. In addition, the membership 3 of an area board shall include representation from early 4 care, education, health, human services, business, and faith 5 interests, and at least one parent, grandparent, or guardian of 6 a child from zero through age five. However, not more than one 7 member shall represent the same entity or interest. 8 Sec. 5. Section 256I.8, subsection 1, paragraph c, Code 9 2016, is amended to read as follows: 10 c. Develop a comprehensive community plan for providing 11 services for children from zero through age five. At a 12 minimum, the plan shall do all of the following: 13 (1) Describe community and area needs for children from zero 14 through age five as identified through ongoing assessments. 15 (2) Describe the current and desired levels of community 16 and area coordination of services for children from zero 17 through age five, including the involvement and specific 18 responsibilities of all related organizations and entities 19 relationships and services between community providers . 20 (3) Identify all federal, state, local, and private funding 21 sources including funding estimates available in the early 22 childhood Iowa area that will be used to provide services to 23 children from zero through age five. 24 (4) Describe how funding sources will be used 25 collaboratively and the degree to which the sources can 26 be combined to provide necessary services to support young 27 children and their families. 28 (5) Identify the desired results and the community-wide 29 indicators the area board expects to address through 30 implementation of the comprehensive community plan. The plan 31 shall identify community-specific, quantifiable performance 32 measures to be reported in the area board’s annual report and 33 integration with the strategic plan adopted by the state board. 34 (6) Describe the current status of support services to 35 -2- SF 2299 (4) 86 rh/nh/jh 2/ 8

S.F. 2299 prevent the spread of infectious diseases, prevent child 1 injuries, develop health emergency protocols, help with 2 medication, and care for children with special health needs 3 that are being provided to child care facilities registered or 4 licensed under chapter 237A within the early childhood Iowa 5 area. 6 Sec. 6. Section 256I.9, subsection 3, paragraphs b and d, 7 Code 2016, are amended to read as follows: 8 b. (1) Family support services and parent education 9 programs promoted to parents of children from zero through 10 age five. Family support services shall include but are not 11 limited to home visitation and parent education . Of the state 12 funding that an area board designates for family support 13 programs, at least sixty percent shall be committed to programs 14 with a home visitation component. 15 (2) It is the intent of the general assembly that priority 16 for home visitation family support program funding be given 17 to programs using evidence-based or promising models for home 18 visitation family support . 19 d. Services to improve the quality and availability of 20 all types of child care. The services may include but are 21 not limited to making nurse consultants available to support 22 quality improvement. 23 Sec. 7. Section 256I.9, subsection 4, paragraphs a, b, and 24 c, Code 2016, are amended to read as follows: 25 a. A school ready children grant shall be awarded to an 26 area board annually, as funding is available. Receipt of 27 continued funding is subject to submission of the required 28 annual report data and the state board’s determination that 29 the area board is measuring making progress , through the use 30 of specific, quantifiable performance measures and locally 31 identified community-wide indicators , developed by the state 32 board with input from area boards, progress toward and is 33 achieving the desired results and other results identified 34 in the community plan. Each area board shall participate in 35 -3- SF 2299 (4) 86 rh/nh/jh 3/ 8

S.F. 2299 the levels of excellence rating system designation process to 1 measure the area’s success. If the use of performance measures 2 and community-wide indicators does not show that an area board 3 has made progress toward achieving the results identified in 4 the community plan, the state board shall require a plan of 5 corrective action, provide technical assistance, withhold any 6 increase in funding, or withdraw grant funding. 7 b. The state board shall distribute school ready children 8 grant moneys to area boards with approved comprehensive 9 community plans based upon a determination of an early 10 childhood Iowa area’s readiness to effectively utilize the 11 grant moneys designation . The grant moneys shall be adjusted 12 for other federal and state grant moneys to be received by the 13 area for services to children from zero through age five. 14 c. An area board’s readiness designation shall be determined 15 by evidence of successful collaboration among public and 16 private early care, education, health, and human services 17 interests in the area or a documented program design that 18 supports a strong likelihood of a successful collaboration 19 between these interests. Other criteria which may be used by 20 the state board to determine readiness and funding amounts for 21 an area include one or more of the following: 22 (1) The levels of excellence rating received by the area. 23 (2) Evidence of the area’s capacity to successfully 24 implement the services in the area’s community plan. 25 (3) Local public and private funding and other resources 26 committed to implementation of the community plan. 27 (4) The adequacy of plans for commitment of local funding 28 and other resources for implementation of the community plan. 29 Sec. 8. Section 256I.10, subsection 3, Code 2016, is amended 30 by striking the subsection. 31 Sec. 9. Section 256I.11, subsection 4, paragraph b, Code 32 2016, is amended by striking the paragraph. 33 Sec. 10. Section 256I.13, Code 2016, is amended to read as 34 follows: 35 -4- SF 2299 (4) 86 rh/nh/jh 4/ 8

S.F. 2299 256I.13 Home visitation Family support program —— funding 1 intent. 2 1. In order to implement the legislative intent stated in 3 sections 135.106 and 256I.9 , that priority for home visitation 4 family support program funding be given to programs using 5 evidence-based or promising models for home visitation family 6 support , it is the intent of the general assembly to phase in 7 the funding priority as follows: 8 a. By July 1, 2013, twenty-five percent of state funds 9 expended for home visiting programs are for evidence-based or 10 promising program models. 11 b. By July 1, 2014, fifty percent of state funds expended 12 for home visiting programs are for evidence-based or promising 13 program models. 14 c. By July 1, 2015, seventy-five percent of state funds 15 expended for home visiting programs are for evidence-based or 16 promising program models. 17 d. By that by July 1, 2016, ninety percent of state 18 funds expended for home visiting family support programs 19 are shall be used for evidence-based or promising program 20 models. The remaining ten percent of funds may be used for 21 innovative program models that do not yet meet the definition 22 of evidence-based or promising programs. 23 2. For the purposes of this section , unless the context 24 otherwise requires or unless otherwise provided under federal 25 law: 26 a. “Evidence-based program” means a program that is based 27 on scientific evidence demonstrating that the program model 28 is effective. An evidence-based program shall be reviewed 29 on site and compared to program model standards by the model 30 developer or the developer’s designee at least every five years 31 to ensure that the program continues to maintain fidelity 32 with the program model. The program model shall have had 33 demonstrated significant and sustained positive outcomes in an 34 evaluation utilizing a well-designed and rigorous randomized 35 -5- SF 2299 (4) 86 rh/nh/jh 5/ 8

S.F. 2299 controlled research design or a quasi-experimental research 1 design, and the evaluation results shall have been published in 2 a peer-reviewed journal. 3 b. “Family support programs” includes group-based parent 4 education or home visiting programs that are designed to 5 strengthen protective factors, including parenting skills, 6 increasing parental knowledge of child development, and 7 increasing family functioning and problem solving skills. A 8 family support program may be used as an early intervention 9 strategy to improve birth outcomes, parental knowledge, family 10 economic success, the home learning environment, family and 11 child involvement with others, and coordination with other 12 community resources. A family support program may have a 13 specific focus on preventing child maltreatment or ensuring 14 children are safe, healthy, and ready to succeed in school. 15 c. “Promising program” means a program that meets all of the 16 following requirements: 17 (1) The program conforms to a clear, consistent family 18 support model that has been in existence for at least three 19 years. 20 (2) The program is grounded in relevant empirically based 21 knowledge. 22 (3) The program is linked to program-determined outcomes. 23 (4) The program is associated with a national or state 24 organization that either has comprehensive program standards 25 that ensure high-quality service delivery and continuous 26 program quality improvement or the program model has 27 demonstrated through the program’s benchmark outcomes that the 28 program has achieved significant positive outcomes equivalent 29 to those achieved by program models with published significant 30 and sustained results in a peer-reviewed journal. 31 (5) The program has been awarded the Iowa family support 32 credential and has been reviewed on site at least every five 33 years to ensure the program’s adherence to the Iowa family 34 support standards approved by the state board or a comparable 35 -6- SF 2299 (4) 86 rh/nh/jh 6/ 8

S.F. 2299 set of standards. The on-site review is completed by an 1 independent review team that is not associated with the program 2 or the organization administering the program. 3 3. a. The data reporting requirements adopted by the 4 state board pursuant to section 256I.4 for the family support 5 programs targeted to families expecting a child or with newborn 6 and infant children through age five and funded through the 7 state board shall require the programs to participate in a 8 state-administered internet-based data collection system. The 9 data reporting requirements shall be developed in a manner to 10 provide for compatibility with local data collection systems. 11 The state board’s annual report submitted each January to 12 the governor and general assembly under section 256I.4 shall 13 include family support program outcomes beginning with the 14 January 2015 report . 15 b. The data on families served that is collected by the 16 family support programs funded through the early childhood 17 Iowa initiative shall include but is not limited to basic 18 demographic information, services received, funding utilized, 19 and program outcomes for the children and families served. The 20 state board shall adopt performance benchmarks for the family 21 support programs and shall revise the Iowa family support 22 credential to incorporate the performance benchmarks on or 23 before January 1, 2014. 24 c. The state board shall identify minimum competency 25 standards for the employees and supervisors of family support 26 programs funded through the early childhood Iowa initiative. 27 The state board shall submit recommendations concerning the 28 standards to the governor and general assembly on or before 29 January 1, 2014. 30 d. The state board shall adopt criminal and child abuse 31 record check requirements for the employees and supervisors of 32 family support programs funded through the early childhood Iowa 33 initiative. 34 e. The state board shall develop a plan to implement a 35 -7- SF 2299 (4) 86 rh/nh/jh 7/ 8

S.F. 2299 coordinated intake and referral process for publicly funded 1 family support programs in order to engage the families 2 expecting a child or with newborn and infant children through 3 age five in all communities in the state by July 1, 2015. 4 -8- SF 2299 (4) 86 rh/nh/jh 8/ 8