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House
File
2493
-
Enrolled
House
File
2493
AN
ACT
RELATING
TO
THE
STATEWIDE
PRESCHOOL
PROGRAM
BY
MODIFYING
PROVISIONS
RELATING
TO
ELIGIBILITY,
FUNDING,
AND
COMPULSORY
ATTENDANCE
AND
INCLUDING
APPLICABILITY
PROVISIONS.
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
Section
1.
Section
256C.1,
subsections
1
and
4,
Code
2026,
are
amended
to
read
as
follows:
1.
“Approved
local
program”
means
a
school
district’s
program
for
four-year-old
young
children
approved
by
the
department
of
education
to
provide
high
quality
preschool
instruction.
4.
“Preschool
program”
means
the
statewide
preschool
program
for
four-year-old
young
children
created
in
accordance
with
this
chapter
.
Sec.
2.
Section
256C.1,
Code
2026,
is
amended
by
adding
the
following
new
subsection:
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
7.
“Young
children”
means
children
who
are
four
years
of
age
or
who
are
five
years
of
age
on
specified
dates
as
provided
in
section
256C.3,
subsection
1,
paragraph
“a”
.
Sec.
3.
Section
256C.2,
Code
2026,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
256C.2
Statewide
preschool
program
for
four-year-old
young
children
——
purpose.
1.
A
statewide
preschool
program
for
four-year-old
young
children
is
established.
The
purpose
of
the
preschool
program
House
File
2493,
p.
2
is
to
provide
an
opportunity
for
all
young
children
in
the
state
to
enter
school
ready
to
learn
by
expanding
voluntary
access
to
quality
preschool
curricula
for
all
children
who
are
four
years
old
.
2.
The
state
board
shall
adopt
rules
in
accordance
with
chapter
17A
as
necessary
to
implement
the
preschool
program
as
provided
in
this
chapter
.
Sec.
4.
Section
256C.3,
subsection
1,
paragraphs
a
and
b,
Code
2026,
are
amended
to
read
as
follows:
a.
A
child
who
is
a
resident
of
Iowa
and
who
is
either
four
years
of
age
on
or
before
September
15
of
a
school
year
or
who
reaches
five
years
of
age
on
or
after
March
15
but
on
or
before
September
15
of
the
calendar
year
during
which
the
school
year
begins
shall
be
eligible
to
enroll
in
the
preschool
program
under
this
chapter
.
If
such
a
child
is
enrolled
under
this
chapter
,
the
child
shall
be
considered
to
be
of
compulsory
attendance
age
as
provided
in
section
299.1A,
subsection
3
.
If
a
child
enrolled
in
the
preschool
program
pursuant
to
this
paragraph
has
been
counted
for
state
funding
purposes
under
this
chapter
for
a
prior
school
year,
the
child
shall
not
be
counted
for
state
funding
purposes.
b.
If
space
and
funding
are
available,
including
funding
from
another
school
district
account
or
fund
from
which
preschool
program
expenditures
are
authorized
by
law,
a
school
district
approved
to
participate
in
the
preschool
program
may
enroll
and
pay
the
cost
of
attendance
for
a
younger
or
older
child
in
the
preschool
program
who
does
not
satisfy
the
requirements
under
paragraph
“a”
;
however,
the
child
shall
not
be
counted
for
state
funding
purposes.
Sec.
5.
Section
256C.3,
subsection
4,
paragraph
b,
Code
2026,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
b.
Subject
to
implementation
of
chapter
28E
agreements
between
a
school
district
and
community-based
providers
of
services
to
four-year-old
children
and
eligible
five-year-old
children
,
a
four-year-old
child
or
eligible
five-year-old
child
who
is
enrolled
in
a
child
care
center
or
child
development
home
licensed
or
registered
under
chapter
237A
,
or
in
an
existing
public
or
private
preschool
program,
shall
be
eligible
for
services
provided
by
the
school
district’s
local
preschool
House
File
2493,
p.
3
program.
Sec.
6.
Section
256C.4,
subsection
2,
Code
2026,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
2.
Eligible
student
enrollment.
a.
To
be
included
as
an
eligible
student
in
the
enrollment
count
of
the
preschool
programming
provided
by
a
school
district
approved
to
participate
in
the
preschool
program,
a
child
must
be
four
years
of
satisfy
the
age
by
September
15
requirements
of
section
256C.3,
subsection
1,
paragraph
“a”
,
in
the
base
year
and
be
attending
the
school
district’s
approved
local
program.
b.
The
enrollment
count
of
eligible
students
shall
not
include
a
child
who
is
included
in
the
enrollment
count
determined
under
section
257.6
or
a
child
who
is
served
by
a
program
already
receiving
state
or
federal
funds
for
the
purpose
of
the
provision
of
four-year-old
or
five-year-old
preschool
programming
while
the
child
is
being
served
by
the
program.
Such
preschool
programming
includes
but
is
not
limited
to
child
development
assistance
programs
provided
under
chapter
256A
,
special
education
programs
provided
under
section
256B.9
,
school
ready
children
grant
programs
and
other
programs
provided
under
chapter
256I
,
and
federal
head
start
programs
and
the
services
funded
by
Tit.
I
of
the
federal
Elementary
and
Secondary
Education
Act
of
1965.
Sec.
7.
Section
298A.2,
subsection
2,
paragraph
a,
subparagraph
(1),
Code
2026,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
(1)
An
approved
local
program
under
the
statewide
preschool
program
for
four-year-old
young
children
under
chapter
256C
.
Sec.
8.
Section
298A.2,
subsection
2,
paragraph
c,
subparagraph
(1),
Code
2026,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
(1)
Start-up
costs
for
an
approved
local
program
under
the
statewide
preschool
program
for
four-year-old
young
children
under
chapter
256C
.
Sec.
9.
Section
299.1A,
subsection
3,
Code
2026,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
3.
A
child
who
has
reached
the
age
of
four
by
September
15
or
five
and
who
is
enrolled
in
the
statewide
preschool
program
under
chapter
256C
shall
be
considered
to
be
of
compulsory
attendance
age
unless
the
parent
or
guardian
of
the
child
House
File
2493,
p.
4
submits
written
notice
to
the
school
district
implementing
the
program
of
the
parent’s
or
guardian’s
intent
to
remove
the
child
from
enrollment
in
the
preschool
program.
Sec.
10.
APPLICABILITY.
This
Act
applies
to
school
budget
years
beginning
on
or
after
July
1,
2027.
______________________________
PAT
GRASSLEY
Speaker
of
the
House
______________________________
AMY
SINCLAIR
President
of
the
Senate
I
hereby
certify
that
this
bill
originated
in
the
House
and
is
known
as
House
File
2493,
Ninety-first
General
Assembly.
______________________________
MEGHAN
NELSON
Chief
Clerk
of
the
House
Approved
_______________,
2026
______________________________
KIM
REYNOLDS
Governor