Florida 2022 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H1299 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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10	10	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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14	14	A bill to be entitled 1
15	15	An act relating to the Early Learning Scholarship 2
16	16	program; providing a short title; creating s. 1002.56, 3
17	17	F.S.; establishing the Early Learning Scholarship 4
18	18	program, administered by the Division of Early 5
19	19	Learning; providing the purpose of the program; 6
20	20	defining terms; specifying eligibility criteria; 7
21	21	providing that a student who receives a scholarship 8
22	22	remains eligible to participate until the student is 9
23	23	admitted to kindergarten or attains the age of 6 years 10
24	24	by a specified date; requiring program funds to be 11
25	25	used for a specified purpose; providing for the 12
26	26	administration of the program; requiring the division 13
27	27	to contract with an independent contractor to evaluate 14
28	28	the program; requiring that the evaluation include 15
29	29	specified recommendations; requiring the division to 16
30	30	submit a written copy of the evaluation to the 17
31	31	Legislature and certain state agencies by a specified 18
32	32	date; specifying provider eligibility criteria; 19
33	33	exempting the state from liability; providing that the 20
34	34	program does not expand the regulatory authority of 21
35	35	the state; requiring the State Board of Education to 22
36	36	adopt rules; providing an effective date. 23
37	37	24
38	38	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of F lorida: 25
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47	47	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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52	52	Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Brighter Future 27
53	53	Act." 28
54	54	Section 2. Section 1002.56, Florida Statutes, is created 29
55	55	to read: 30
56	56	1002.56 Early Learning Scholarship program. — 31
57	57	(1) PURPOSE.—There is established the Early Learning 32
58	58	Scholarship program to be administered by the Division of Early 33
59	59	Learning. The program is established in order to close the 34
60	60	opportunity gap by increasing access to high -quality early 35
61	61	childhood education services. 36
62	62	(2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term : 37
63	63	(a) "Direct certification list" has the same meaning as in 38
64	64	s. 1002.395(2). 39
65	65	(b) "Division" means the Division of Early Learning. 40
66	66	(c) "Household income" has the same meaning as in s. 41
67	67	1002.395(2). 42
68	68	(d) "Parent" means a resident of this state who is a 43
69	69	parent as defined in s. 1000.21(5). 44
70	70	(e) "Program" means the Early Learning Scholarship 45
71	71	program. 46
72	72	(f) "Provider" means a private prekindergarten provider 47
73	73	pursuant to s. 1002.55 or a contracted school readiness provider 48
74	74	pursuant to s. 1002.88 which meets the requirements of 49
75	75	subsection (6). 50
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84	84	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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88	88	(3) ELIGIBILITY.—A student is eligible for a scholarship 51
89	89	under the program to attend education services offered by 52
90	90	providers if: 53
91	91	(a) The student: 54
92	92	1. Is a resident of this state; 55
93	93	2. Is not receiving any other scholarship established 56
94	94	under this chapter; and 57
95	95	3. Meets at least one of the eligibility priorities 58
96	96	described in paragraph (5)(c); 59
97	97	(b) The student's household income level does not exceed 60
98	98	300 percent of the federal poverty level; and 61
99	99	(c) The student's parent has applied for a scholarship 62
100	100	with the division. 63
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102	102	A student who initially receives a scholarship based on 65
103	103	eligibility under this subsection remains eligible to 66
104	104	participate until the student is admitted to kindergarten or 67
105	105	attains the age of 6 years by February 1 of any school year. 68
106	106	(4) USE OF FUNDS.—Funds awarded under the program must be 69
107	107	used for tuition and fees for eligible children to access 70
108	108	educational services offered by providers. 71
109	109	(5) ADMINISTRATION. — 72
110	110	(a) Subject to the appropriation of funds by the 73
111	111	Legislature, the division shall coordinate annually with early 74
112	112	learning coalitions to issue program scholarships. 75
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121	121	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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125	125	(b) The division shall establish application timelines and 76
126	126	determine the schedule for awarding scholarships in a manner 77
127	127	that meets the needs of eligible students and their parents. 78
128	128	Such awards must be made by direct payment from early learning 79
129	129	coalitions to program providers. 80
130	130	(c) An early learning coalition shall apply the following 81
131	131	priority order for students in awarding schol arships, beginning 82
132	132	with the highest priority: 83
133	133	1. Students who are in foster care. 84
134	134	2. Students who are infants or toddlers with a current 85
135	135	individualized family service plan. 86
136	136	3. Students who have a parent younger than 21 years of age 87
137	137	who is pursuing a high school or high school equivalency 88
138	138	diploma. 89
139	139	4. Students who are experiencing or have experienced 90
140	140	homelessness or who fall within the category "children known to 91
141	141	the department" as defined in s. 39.0016(1). 92
142	142	5. Students who have a household income th at does not 93
143	143	exceed 185 percent of the federal poverty level. 94
144	144	6. Students on the direct certification list. 95
145	145	7. Subject to the appropriation of general revenue funds 96
146	146	by the Legislature, students who have a household income above 97
147	147	185 percent but not excee ding 300 percent of the federal poverty 98
148	148	level. 99
149	149	(d) An early learning coalition may prioritize 100
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158	158	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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162	162	applications on the basis of additional factors, including 101
163	163	geographic location and whether the student's family is 102
164	164	currently enrolled in, or on a waiting list f or, a publicly 103
165	165	funded program that provides early education or child care 104
166	166	services. 105
167	167	(e) The division shall establish criteria for early 106
168	168	learning coalitions to use when determining the amount of 107
169	169	scholarship awards. The total amount of a scholarship award, or 108
170	170	the amount of a scholarship award in combination with any other 109
171	171	public funds received to provide early education or child care 110
172	172	services for the student, may not exceed the program provider's 111
173	173	published private pay rate. Scholarship funds may not be used to 112
174	174	supplant any federal funding received by the program to provide 113
175	175	services for the student. 114
176	176	(f) The division shall report on program implementation 115
177	177	and progress as part of its annual reporting requirements under 116
178	178	s. 1002.82(7). The report must include, at a minimum, 117
179	179	information on the number, ages, and priority levels of children 118
180	180	served and the total number and the total dollar amount of 119
181	181	scholarships awarded by priority level. 120
182	182	(g) The division shall contract with an independent 121
183	183	contractor to evaluate t he program. The evaluation must include 122
184	184	recommendations regarding the appropriate scholarship amount, 123
185	185	the efficiency and effectiveness of program administration, and 124
186	186	the impact on kindergarten readiness. By January 15, 2025, the 125
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195	195	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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199	199	division shall submit a wri tten copy of the evaluation to the 126
200	200	chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative 127
201	201	committees and to state agencies with primary jurisdiction over 128
202	202	kindergarten through grade 12 education. 129
203	203	(6) PROVIDER ELIGIBILITY. — 130
204	204	(a) A provider is eligible to receive scholarship funds if 131
205	205	the provider: 132
206	206	1. Meets the minimum performance metric or designation 133
207	207	under s. 1002.68(5); or 134
208	208	2. Demonstrates acceptable performance on the program 135
209	209	assessment under s. 1002.82(2)(n). 136
210	210	(b) A provider that is providing servic es under contract 137
211	211	with both the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program and 138
212	212	the school readiness program must satisfy the requirements of 139
213	213	subparagraphs (a)1. and 2. 140
214	214	(7) LIABILITY.—The state is not liable for the award of 141
215	215	funds or any use of awarded funds under this section. 142
216	216	(8) SCOPE OF AUTHORITY. —This section does not expand the 143
217	217	regulatory authority of the state, its officers, or the division 144
218	218	to impose additional regulations on participating private 145
219	219	Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program providers beyond 146
220	220	those reasonably necessary to enforce requirements expressly set 147
221	221	forth in this section. 148
222	222	(9) RULES.—The State Board of Education shall adopt rules 149
223	223	to administer this section. 150
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236	236	Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 151