Senate Bill 1282e1

    SB 1282                                  First Engrossed (ntc)



  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to trust funds; creating the

  3         School Readiness Trust Fund within the

  4         Executive Office of the Governor; providing for

  5         sources of moneys and purposes; providing for

  6         future review and termination or re-creation of

  7         the trust fund; providing an effective date.

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  9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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11         Section 1.  The School Readiness Trust Fund is created

12  in the State Treasury, to be administered by the Executive

13  Office of the Governor.  Funds shall be credited to the trust

14  fund to be used for the purposes of the school readiness

15  program set forth in section 411.01, Florida Statutes.

16         Section 2.  Funding; School Readiness Trust Fund.--

17         (1)  The intent of the School Readiness Trust Fund is

18  to ensure a seamless service delivery system for all publicly

19  funded early education and child care programs operating in

20  this state.

21         (2)  Funds budgeted for the prekindergarten early

22  intervention program, the subsidized child care program, and

23  other state or locally funded education and care programs for

24  preschool children may be transferred to the School Readiness

25  Trust Fund for implementation of the school readiness

26  programs.  Additional funds, including state-appropriated

27  incentive funds, may be placed in the trust fund for purposes

28  of this section.

29         (3)  All funds transferred to and retained in the trust

30  fund shall be invested pursuant to section 18.125, Florida

31  Statutes. Any interest accruing to the trust fund shall be for


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






    SB 1282                                  First Engrossed (ntc)



  1  the benefit of school readiness coalitions providing a school

  2  readiness program. Notwithstanding section 216.301, Florida

  3  Statutes, and pursuant to section 216.351, Florida Statutes,

  4  any undisbursed balance remaining in the trust fund and

  5  interest accruing to the trust fund not distributed at the end

  6  of the fiscal year shall remain in the trust fund and shall

  7  increase the total funds available for the coalitions

  8  implementing a school readiness program.

  9         (4)  The Florida Partnership for School Readiness shall

10  annually distribute to the fiscal agent for each school

11  readiness coalition funds from the School Readiness Trust Fund

12  for the benefit of that coalition. Additional funds and

13  investment income from the trust fund shall be distributed to

14  the coalitions implementing school readiness programs based on

15  achievement of performance outcomes or need, or a combination

16  thereof.

17         (5)  State funds appropriated for the school readiness

18  program may not be used for the construction of new facilities

19  or the purchase of buses, but may be used for educational

20  field trips that enhance the curriculum.

21         Section 3.  Pursuant to the provisions of section

22  19(f)(2), Article III of the State Constitution, the School

23  Readiness Trust Fund shall, unless terminated sooner, be

24  terminated on July 1, 2004. Prior to its scheduled

25  termination, the trust fund shall be reviewed as provided in

26  section 215.3206(1) and (2), Florida Statutes.

27         Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.

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