CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.

Senate Bill 0180

Florida Senate - 1998 SB 180 By Senator Kirkpatrick 5-275-98 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to trust funds; creating the 3 Early Education and Child Care Trust Fund 4 within the Department of Children and Family 5 Services; providing for sources of moneys and 6 purposes; providing for future review and 7 termination or re-creation of the trust fund; 8 providing a contingent effective date. 9 10 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 11 12 Section 1. The Early Education and Child Care Trust 13 Fund is created, to be administered by the Department of 14 Children and Family Services. Funds shall be credited to the 15 trust fund as provided in HB 2131 or similar legislation, to 16 be used for the purposes set forth therein. 17 Section 2. Funding; Early Education and Child Care 18 Trust Fund.-- 19 (1) The intent of the Early Education and Child Care 20 Trust Fund is to ensure a seamless service delivery system for 21 all publicly funded early education and child care programs 22 operating in this state. 23 (2) All state funds budgeted for a county for the 24 programs specified in paragraph 402.265(1)(d), Florida 25 Statutes, and all federal funds and required local matching 26 funds for a county for programs specified in paragraph 27 402.265(1)(d), Florida Statutes, shall be transferred to the 28 Early Education and Child Care Trust Fund for the benefit of 29 the county for implementation of the early education and child 30 care program. Additional funds may be placed in the trust fund 31 for purposes of this section. 1 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida Senate - 1998 SB 180 5-275-98 1 (3) All funds transferred to and retained in the trust 2 fund shall be invested pursuant to section 18.125, Florida 3 Statutes. Any interest accruing to the trust fund shall be for 4 the benefit of counties providing an early education and child 5 care program. Notwithstanding section 216.301, Florida 6 Statutes, and pursuant to section 216.351, Florida Statutes, 7 any undisbursed balance remaining in the trust fund and 8 interest accruing to the trust fund not distributed at the end 9 of the fiscal year shall remain in the trust fund and shall 10 increase the total funds available for the counties 11 implementing an early education and child care program. 12 (4) The State Board of Governance shall annually 13 distribute to the fiscal agent in each county the funds that 14 were transferred into the Early Education and Child Care Trust 15 Fund for the benefit of that county. Additional funds and 16 investment income from the trust fund shall be distributed to 17 the counties implementing an early education and child care 18 program based on outcome performance measures or need, or 19 combination thereof. Counties may be required to provide 20 matching funds. The State Board of Governance shall provide 21 rewards to counties that serve more children in the early 22 education and child care program than were served through 23 previously existing programs. 24 (5) State funds appropriated for the early education 25 and child care program may not be used for the construction of 26 new facilities, the transportation of students, or the 27 purchase of buses, but may be used for educational field trips 28 that enhance the curriculum. 29 Section 3. It is the intent of the Legislature that 30 section 2 be compiled into section 402.265, Florida Statutes. 31 2 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida Senate - 1998 SB 180 5-275-98 1 Section 4. Pursuant to the provisions of section 2 19(f)(2), Article III of the State Constitution, the Early 3 Education and Child Care Trust Fund shall, unless terminated 4 sooner, be terminated on July 1, 2002. Prior to its scheduled 5 termination, the trust fund shall be reviewed as provided in 6 section 215.3206(1) and (2), Florida Statutes. 7 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 1998, if 8 HB 2131 or similar legislation is adopted in the same 9 legislative session or an extension thereof. 10 11 ***************************************** 12 LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY 13 Creates the Early Education and Child Care Trust Fund within the Department of Children and Family Services, 14 and provides for its sources of moneys and purposes. Provides for future review and termination or re-creation 15 of the trust fund. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 3