2023 -- S 0987 ======== LC002750 ======== S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023 ____________ A N A C T RELATING TO EDUCATION -- BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES IN OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME Introduced By: Senators Cano, Gallo, Lauria, Burke, Quezada, Lawson, DiMario, Murray, Euer, and Miller Date Introduced: May 15, 2023 Referred To: Senate Finance It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: SECTION 1. Title 16 of the General Laws entitled "EDUCATION" is hereby amended by 1 adding thereto the following chapter: 2 CHAPTER 112 3 BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES IN OUT -OF-SCHOOL TIME 4 16-112-1. Short title. 5 This act shall be known and may be cited as "Building Opportunities in Out-of-School 6 Time". 7 16-112-2. Purpose. 8 The purpose of this chapter is to provide funding to support comprehensive and effective 9 before school, afterschool, school break, and summer learning programming for students in grade 10 pre-Kindergarten through twelve (PK-12), workforce development programming for individua ls 11 seeking to become youth development professionals, and retention programs for current youth 12 development professionals. 13 16-112-3. Funding. 14 The general assembly shall allocate no less than four million dollars ($4,000,000) per fiscal 15 year to invest in out-of-school time ("OST") programs as follows: 16 (1) Technical assistance supports related to program operation; 17 (2) Professional development for established youth development professionals, including, 18 but not limited to, retention initiatives, technical supports, technology assistance and quality 19 LC002750 - Page 2 of 3 evaluation that include youth development educator improvement recommendations and resources; 1 and 2 (3) Workforce development and funding a pipeline of qualified diverse individuals seeking 3 to become youth development professionals, including, but not limited to, technical assistance 4 professionals, certified teachers, child care providers and other educators. 5 16-112-4. Department of education. 6 (a) The Rhode Island foundation shall serve as the fiscal sponsor and receive the funding 7 allocated by the general assembly pursuant to this chapter and shall distribute it as grants to 8 programs selected in accordance with the process developed by the panel identified in subsection 9 (d) of this section. 10 (b) Recipients of grants may include nonprofit organizations, municipal governments, 11 tribal governments, local public education agencies and public universities. 12 (c) Only programs that adhere to the afterschool quality standards and indicators 13 established by the Rhode Island department of education shall be eligible to receive grants under 14 this chapter. 15 (d) The fiscal sponsor shall convene a panel of stakeholders from the OST community to 16 create a competitive application process for allocating grants each fiscal year. Stakeholders may 17 include the Rhode Island department of education, the Rhode Island department of human services, 18 the Rhode Island afterschool network, youth development experts, local OST providers, youth and 19 parents. 20 16-112-5. Reporting. 21 The fiscal sponsor shall report annually to the general assembly and the governor no later 22 than January 31 of each year on programs receiving grants under this chapter. The report shall 23 include, but not be limited to, the number of children and youth served by the programs, their 24 city/town of residence, age, race/ethnicity, income status, language status, disability, and gender. 25 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 26 ======== LC002750 ======== LC002750 - Page 3 of 3 EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF A N A C T RELATING TO EDUCATION -- BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES IN OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME *** This act would provide four million dollars ($4,000,000) to support comprehensive and 1 effective before school, afterschool, school vacation, and summer learning for students in grades 2 pre-kindergarten through twelve (PK-12), provide workforce development for individuals seeking 3 to become youth development professionals, provide retention programs for current youth 4 development programs and requires an annual report to the general assembly and the governor on 5 the status and progress of the program. 6 This act would take effect upon passage. 7 ======== LC002750 ========