PREFILED    DEC 17 2020

REFERENCE TITLE: appropriations; preschool development grants

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-fifth Legislature

First Regular Session

2021

HB 2015

Introduced by

Representative Sierra

AN ACT

appropriating monies to the department of education.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.  Appropriations; department of education; preschool development grants; fiscal years 2021-2022, 2022-2023 and 2023-2024; evaluation; intent

A.  The following amounts are appropriated from the state general fund in the following fiscal years to the department of education to distribute preschool development grants to eligible providers:

1.  In fiscal year 2021-2022, $7,500,000.

2.  In fiscal year 2022-2023, $15,000,000.

3.  In fiscal year 2023-2024, $22,500,000.

B.  The eligible providers must use an evidence‑based curriculum that has a clear scope and sequence and an explicit focus on coaching to assist teachers with curriculum implementation.

C.  Beginning January 1, 2023, the department of education shall evaluate the use of the preschool development grant monies by the eligible providers.  The evaluation must include an analysis of child outcome gains associated with the preschool development grants.  On or before January 31, 2024, the department shall submit the report on the evaluation to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate and the secretary of state.

D.  The legislature intends that the monies appropriated in subsection A of this section first be used to replace federal monies that are no longer available to eligible providers that participated in the preschool development grants program in fiscal year 2018‑2019 or 2019‑2020.