Florida Senate - 2018                                    SB 1146
       
       
        
       By Senator Simmons
       
       
       
       
       
       9-01195-18                                            20181146__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Books to Babies Pilot Project;
    3         requiring the Office of Early Learning to establish
    4         the Books to Babies Pilot Project in Seminole and
    5         Orange Counties to provide resources to parents
    6         relating to emergent literacy skills; requiring the
    7         office to oversee implementation of the pilot project;
    8         requiring the office to select an organization that
    9         meets specified criteria to implement the pilot
   10         project; providing requirements for the use of pilot
   11         project funds; requiring the organization to annually
   12         provide a report to the office, the early learning
   13         coalitions in Orange and Seminole Counties, the
   14         Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker
   15         of the House of Representatives; requiring the office
   16         to allocate funds for the pilot project; requiring the
   17         Orange and Seminole County School Districts to provide
   18         matching funds for the pilot project; providing an
   19         effective date.
   20          
   21  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   22  
   23         Section 1. (1) The Office of Early Learning shall establish
   24  the 3-year Books to Babies Pilot Project in Seminole and Orange
   25  Counties to assist children in developing emergent literacy
   26  skills.
   27         (a) The Office of Early Learning shall consult the Early
   28  Learning Coalition of Orange County, the Early Learning
   29  Coalition of Seminole, and the Seminole and Orange County School
   30  Districts to implement the pilot project. The office shall
   31  oversee the implementation of the pilot project.
   32         (b) The Office of Early Learning shall select a local
   33  organization that is a not-for-profit corporation, qualified as
   34  charitable under s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, that
   35  provides books and resources to parents of newborns, parent
   36  education on early literacy skills, parent and child playgroups,
   37  and case management services to families, such as Great Start of
   38  Seminole County or another similarly qualified local
   39  organization, to implement the pilot project.
   40         (2) The organization selected by the Office of Early
   41  Learning must use the funds provided for the pilot project to
   42  provide:
   43         (a) Books and resources to parents of newborns, including
   44  hospital gift bags to new parents that consist of books for the
   45  baby, educational information for the parents, and a schedule of
   46  events organized through the program.
   47         (b) Information on early literacy skills, child
   48  development, and the nurturing of infants and toddlers.
   49         (c) Structured playgroups for parents and children to play
   50  and learn.
   51         (d) Case management services to families, including
   52  assistance through home visits.
   53  
   54  The organization is encouraged to engage in community outreach
   55  efforts to local community service organizations for the purpose
   56  of improving the availability and effective delivery of pilot
   57  project resources.
   58         (3) By December 31 of each year the organization provides
   59  services through the pilot project, the organization shall
   60  submit an accountability report to the Office of Early Learning,
   61  the Early Learning Coalition of Orange County, the Early
   62  Learning Coalition of Seminole, the Governor, the President of
   63  the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The
   64  accountability report must include, at a minimum, the following
   65  information:
   66         (a) The manner in which all state funds received by the
   67  organization are used to implement the pilot project, separated
   68  by type of expenditure and measured in exact dollar amounts.
   69         (b) Other sources of funding received by the organization
   70  for purposes of implementing the pilot project.
   71         (4) The Office of Early Learning shall allocate funds for
   72  implementation of the pilot project pursuant to this section.
   73  Expenditures of state funds pursuant to this section must be
   74  verified by affidavit submitted to the office in a procedure and
   75  format determined by the office. The Orange County School
   76  District and Seminole County School District shall provide
   77  matching funds for the program.
   78         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.