Indiana 2023 Regular Session

Indiana Senate Bill SB0368 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2	Introduced Version
3	3	SENATE BILL No. 368
4	4	_____
5	5	DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL
6	6	Citations Affected: IC 12-17.2-8.
7	7	Synopsis: Early childhood care and education pilot program.
8	8	Establishes the early childhood care and education pilot program to
9	9	provide a cost sharing approach to fund quality early childhood care
10	10	and education. Establishes the early childhood care and education fund,
11	11	which is nonreverting. Requires community foundations to report to the
12	12	general assembly by September 15, 2026. Provides that the pilot
13	13	program expires June 30, 2027. Makes an appropriation.
14	14	Effective: July 1, 2023.
15	15	Donato
16	16	January 17, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on Family and Children
17	17	Services.
18	18	2023 IN 368—LS 6970/DI 148 Introduced
19	19	First Regular Session of the 123rd General Assembly (2023)
20	20	PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana
21	21	Constitution) is being amended, the text of the existing provision will appear in this style type,
22	22	additions will appear in this style type, and deletions will appear in this style type.
23	23	Additions: Whenever a new statutory provision is being enacted (or a new constitutional
24	24	provision adopted), the text of the new provision will appear in this style type. Also, the
25	25	word NEW will appear in that style type in the introductory clause of each SECTION that adds
26	26	a new provision to the Indiana Code or the Indiana Constitution.
27	27	Conflict reconciliation: Text in a statute in this style type or this style type reconciles conflicts
28	28	between statutes enacted by the 2022 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
29	29	SENATE BILL No. 368
30	30	A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning
31	31	human services and to make an appropriation.
32	32	Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
33	33	1 SECTION 1. IC 12-17.2-8 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE
34	34	2 AS A NEW CHAPTER TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
35	35	3 JULY 1, 2023]:
36	36	4 Chapter 8. Early Childhood Care And Education Pilot Program
37	37	5 Sec. 1. As used in this chapter, "community foundation" refers
38	38	6 to a nonprofit organization that:
39	39	7 (1) is exempt from federal income taxation under section
40	40	8 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; and
41	41	9 (2) supports a broad range of charitable activities within a
42	42	10 participating county.
43	43	11 Sec. 2. As used in this chapter, "eligible child" means an
44	44	12 individual who:
45	45	13 (1) is less than seven (7) years of age;
46	46	14 (2) is a resident of Indiana;
47	47	15 (3) receives quality early education services from a
48	48	16 participating provider; and
49	49	17 (4) subject to section 8 of this chapter, has a parent or
50	50	2023 IN 368—LS 6970/DI 148 2
51	51	1 guardian who is employed by a participating employer.
52	52	2 Sec. 3. As used in this chapter, "participating county" refers to
53	53	3 the following counties:
54	54	4 (1) Adams.
55	55	5 (2) Allen.
56	56	6 (3) DeKalb.
57	57	7 (4) Huntington.
58	58	8 (5) Kosciusko.
59	59	9 (6) LaGrange.
60	60	10 (7) Noble.
61	61	11 (8) Steuben.
62	62	12 (9) Wabash.
63	63	13 (10) Wells.
64	64	14 (11) Whitley.
65	65	15 Sec. 4. As used in this chapter, "participating employer" refers
66	66	16 to an employer in a participating county that has chosen to
67	67	17 participate in the pilot program.
68	68	18 Sec. 5. As used in this chapter, "participating provider" refers
69	69	19 to a:
70	70	20 (1) public school, including a charter school;
71	71	21 (2) child care center licensed under IC 12-17.2-4;
72	72	22 (3) child care home licensed under IC 12-17.2-5; or
73	73	23 (4) child care ministry registered under IC 12-17.2-6;
74	74	24 that meets the standards of quality recognized by a Level 3 or
75	75	25 Level 4 paths to QUALITY program rating and has agreed to
76	76	26 participate in the pilot program.
77	77	27 Sec. 6. As used in this chapter, "pilot program" refers to the
78	78	28 early childhood care and education pilot program established by
79	79	29 section 7 of this chapter.
80	80	30 Sec. 7. (a) The early childhood care and education pilot program
81	81	31 is established to provide a cost sharing approach to fund quality
82	82	32 early childhood care and education for an eligible child.
83	83	33 (b) The cost for an eligible child to receive care under the pilot
84	84	34 program from a participating provider shall be paid as follows:
85	85	35 (1) Subject to section 8 of this chapter, the participating
86	86	36 employer shall pay one-third (1/3) of the cost.
87	87	37 (2) The parent or guardian shall pay one-third (1/3) of the
88	88	38 cost.
89	89	39 (3) The state shall pay one-third (1/3) of the cost.
90	90	40 Sec. 8. A participating employer may:
91	91	41 (1) limit the employer's participation to attract new
92	92	42 employees or fill vacancies; and
93	93	2023 IN 368—LS 6970/DI 148 3
94	94	1 (2) make contributions to a community foundation in amounts
95	95	2 sufficient to pay one-third (1/3) of the cost for an eligible child
96	96	3 to receive care from a participating provider.
97	97	4 Sec. 9. (a) The early childhood care and education fund is
98	98	5 established to pay one-third (1/3) of the cost for each eligible child
99	99	6 who receives care under the pilot program from a participating
100	100	7 provider.
101	101	8 (b) The office of the secretary of family and social services shall
102	102	9 administer the fund.
103	103	10 (c) The fund consists of:
104	104	11 (1) money appropriated to the fund by the general assembly;
105	105	12 and
106	106	13 (2) grants or gifts to the fund.
107	107	14 (d) The fund does not revert to the state general fund.
108	108	15 (e) The expenses of administering the fund shall be paid from
109	109	16 money in the fund.
110	110	17 (f) Eleven million five hundred thousand dollars ($11,500,000)
111	111	18 is appropriated each year from the state general fund to the office
112	112	19 of the secretary of family and social services to carry out this
113	113	20 chapter.
114	114	21 (g) The office of the secretary of family and social services shall
115	115	22 distribute money from the fund to a participating provider in
116	116	23 which a parent or guardian chooses to enroll an eligible child.
117	117	24 Sec. 10. A community foundation shall:
118	118	25 (1) distribute participating employer contributions that the
119	119	26 community foundation receives to the participating provider
120	120	27 in which a parent chooses to enroll an eligible child; and
121	121	28 (2) before September 15, 2026, report to the general assembly,
122	122	29 in an electronic format under IC 5-14-6, regarding
123	123	30 participation costs and the effectiveness of the pilot program.
124	124	31 Sec. 11. This chapter expires June 30, 2027.
125	125	2023 IN 368—LS 6970/DI 148