COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AMENDMENTS TO H.B. 2645
(Reference to printed bill)
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert:
"Section 1. Preschool grant program; appropriations; department of education; delayed repeal
A. The department of education shall establish a competitive grant program that provides grants to public and private preschools in this state to provide high-quality, full-day, full-year educational programs to children who are four years of age and whose family income is below two hundred percent of the federal poverty guidelines. The department shall develop a plan to implement the program that includes a statement of the goals for the program and how the goals will be measured through program outcomes and other means.
B. The following amounts are appropriated from the state general fund in the following fiscal years to the department of education for the purposes of establishing the program described in subsection A of this section:
1. In fiscal year 2019-2020, $2,000,000.
2. In fiscal year 2020-2021, $2,000,000.
3. In fiscal year 2021-2022, $2,000,000.
C. The department may both:
1. Retain up to five percent of the monies appropriated in subsection B of this section for the purposes of administering and evaluating the program.
2. Use up to $500,000 of the monies appropriated in subsection B of this section to conduct an online early learning program for children in rural areas. If the department conducts an online early learning program pursuant to this paragraph, the department shall award a contract on a competitive basis to administer the online early learning program to a provider that is an organization that is exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code and that can demonstrate past success conducting an online early learning program through independent, valid and reliable evaluations.
D. This section is repealed from and after December 31, 2022."
Amend title to conform