SB663: Bill Text

EHS:emw&kjf

2017 - 2018 LEGISLATURE

2017 Senate BILL 663

December 21, 2017 - Introduced by Senators Wanggaard, Johnson, L. Taylor and Darling, cosponsored by Representatives Rodriguez, Mursau, Duchow, Anderson and Young. Referred to Committee on Education.

SB663,1,3 An Act to create 20.437 (1) (ad) and 49.168 of the statutes; relating to: a Department of Children and Families pilot project to expand four-year-old kindergarten programs and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill allows the Department of Children and Families, as a pilot project, to award grants to organizations, including school boards, with existing four-year-old kindergarten programs for the purpose of expanding those programs. The bill requires DCF to consider grant proposals from organizations in no more than three counties and to give a preference to organizations operating programs in economically disadvantaged school districts. The bill also limits the grants to those programs in which each instructor holds a license from the Department of Public Instruction.

Under the bill, DCF may pay for the four-year-old kindergarten grants by using either federal moneys received under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant program or from general purpose revenue appropriated for the purpose of the grant program. The bill requires DCF to submit each proposed grant to the Joint Committee on Finance for a 14-day passive review. In addition, if the amount DCF seeks to issue in grants exceeds the moneys available in the GPR appropriation account, the bill allows DCF to request that JCF transfer money to that appropriation account from another DCF appropriation account.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB663,1 Section 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table

SB663,2 Section 2. 20.437 (1) (ad) of the statutes is created to read:

SB663,2,5 20.437 (1) (ad) Four-year-old kindergarten grant program. The amounts in the schedule for 4-year-old kindergarten grants under s. 49.168.

SB663,3 Section 3. 49.168 of the statutes is created to read:

SB663,2,10 49.168 Pilot project to expand 4-year-old kindergarten. (1) In this section, “economically disadvantaged school district” means a school district that contains a municipality with a high annual rate of unemployment measured as of December 2016 and every 2 years thereafter.

SB663,3,4 (2) The department, as a pilot project, may award grants to organizations, including school boards, that operated 4-year-old kindergarten programs during the 2016-17 school year for the purpose of expanding those programs. The department shall consider grant proposals from organizations in no more than 3 counties and, when awarding grants, shall give preference to an organization operating a program located in an economically disadvantaged school district. The department may award grants only to organizations operating programs in which each instructor of 4-year-old kindergarten holds a license from the department of public instruction for the appropriate pupil development level.

SB663,3,6 (3) (a) The department shall pay for the grants under sub. (2) from the appropriation account under s. 20.437 (1) (ad) or (2) (md).

SB663,3,15 (b) The department shall submit each grant it proposes to issue to the joint committee on finance for approval. If the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance do not notify the department that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the proposed grant within 14 working days after the date the proposed grant was submitted, the department may issue the grant. If, within 14 working days after the date the proposed grant was submitted, the cochairpersons of the committee notify the department that the committee has scheduled a meeting for the purpose of reviewing the proposed grant, the department may not issue the grant unless the committee approves the grant.

SB663,3,19 (c) If the amount the department seeks to issue in grants exceeds the moneys available under s. 20.437 (1) (ad), the department may, under s. 13.101 (4), request that the joint committee on finance transfer moneys from another appropriation account under s. 20.437 to the appropriation account under s. 20.437 (1) (ad).

SB663,3,20 (End)