House Bill hb0983

    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                 HB 983

        By Representative Murman






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to trust funds; creating s.

  3         412.515, F.S.; creating the School Readiness

  4         Trust Fund, to be administered by the Agency

  5         for Workforce Innovation; providing for sources

  6         of funds and purpose; providing for investment

  7         of funds and annual carryforward of fund

  8         balances; providing requirements for

  9         distribution and use of funds; providing for

10         future review and termination or re-creation of

11         the trust fund; providing a contingent

12         effective date.

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

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16         Section 1.  Section 412.515, Florida Statutes, is

17  created to read:

18         412.515  School Readiness Trust Fund.--

19         (1)  The School Readiness Trust Fund is created within

20  the State Treasury, to be administered by the Agency for

21  Workforce Innovation. Funds shall be credited to the trust

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

23  program set forth in s. 412.51.

24         (2)(a)  The intent of this section is to ensure a

25  seamless service delivery system for all publicly funded early

26  education and child care programs operating in this state.

27         (b)  Funds budgeted for the prekindergarten early

28  intervention program, the subsidized child care program, and

29  other state or locally funded education and care programs for

30  preschool children may be transferred to the School Readiness

31  Trust Fund for implementation of the school readiness program.

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                 HB 983

    583-224-01






  1  Additional funds, including state-appropriated incentive

  2  funds, may be placed in the trust fund for purposes of this

  3  section.

  4         (c)  All funds transferred to and retained in the

  5  School Readiness Trust Fund shall be invested pursuant to s.

  6  18.125. Any interest accruing to the trust fund shall be for

  7  the benefit of school readiness coalitions providing a school

  8  readiness program. Notwithstanding the provisions of s.

  9  216.301 and pursuant to s. 216.351, any undisbursed balance

10  remaining in the trust fund and interest accruing to the trust

11  fund not distributed at the end of the fiscal year shall

12  remain in the trust fund and shall increase the total funds

13  available for the coalitions implementing a school readiness

14  program.

15         (d)  The Florida Partnership for School Readiness shall

16  annually distribute to the fiscal agent for each school

17  readiness coalition funds from the School Readiness Trust Fund

18  for the benefit of that coalition. Additional funds and

19  investment income from the trust fund shall be distributed to

20  the coalitions implementing a school readiness program based

21  on achievement of performance outcomes or need or a

22  combination thereof.

23         (e)  State funds appropriated for the school readiness

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

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

26  field trips that enhance the curriculum.

27         (3)  Pursuant to the provisions of s. 19(f)(2), Art.

28  III of the State Constitution, the School Readiness Trust Fund

29  shall, unless terminated sooner, be terminated on July 1,

30  2005. Prior to its scheduled termination, the trust fund shall

31  be reviewed as provided in s. 215.3206(1) and (2).

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                 HB 983

    583-224-01






  1         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2001, if

  2  House Bill .... or similar legislation transferring the

  3  Florida Partnership for School Readiness to the Agency for

  4  Workforce Innovation is adopted in the same legislative

  5  session or an extension thereof and becomes law.

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  7            *****************************************

  8                          HOUSE SUMMARY

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      Creates the School Readiness Trust Fund, to be
10    administered by the Agency for Workforce Innovation for
      purposes of the school readiness program. Provides for
11    sources of funds, for investment of funds and annual
      carryforward of fund balances, and for distribution and
12    use of funds. Provides for future review and termination
      or re-creation of the trust fund.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.