Florida Senate - 2026                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for SB 1690
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì663670+Î663670                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
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       The Committee on Education Pre-K - 12 (Calatayud) recommended
       the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete lines 547 - 647
    4  and insert:
    5  adopted by the State Board of Education.
    6         (b) The principal of the endowment fund shall be derived
    7  from any legislative appropriations that may be made to the
    8  endowment, and such bequests, gifts, grants, and donations as
    9  may be solicited for such purpose by the foundation from public
   10  or private sources.
   11         (c) The board of directors of the foundation shall
   12  establish the operating account and shall deposit therein the
   13  moneys transmitted. Moneys in the operating account shall be
   14  available to carry out the purposes of subsection (6).
   15         (d) Funds received from state sources shall be accounted
   16  for separately from bequests, gifts, grants, and donations,
   17  which may be solicited for such purposes by the foundation from
   18  public or private sources. Earnings on funds received from state
   19  sources and funds received from public or private sources shall
   20  be accounted for separately.
   21         (5) ORGANIZATION, POWERS, AND DUTIES.—Within the limits
   22  prescribed in this section or by rule of the State Board of
   23  Education:
   24         (a) The board may solicit and receive bequests, gifts,
   25  grants, donations, goods, and services. Where gifts are
   26  restricted as to purpose, they may be used only for the purpose
   27  or purposes stated by the donor. The board may transmit monetary
   28  gifts to the State Board of Administration for deposit in the
   29  endowment fund principal.
   30         (b) The board may enter into contracts with the Federal
   31  Government, state or local agencies, early learning coalitions,
   32  private entities, or individuals to carry out the purposes of
   33  this section.
   34         (c) The board may identify, initiate, and fund new and
   35  creative programs to carry out the purposes of this section,
   36  utilizing existing organizations, early learning coalitions,
   37  associations, and agencies to carry out such early learning
   38  programs and purposes wherever possible.
   39         (d) The board may make gifts or grants to all of the
   40  following:
   41         1. The state or any political subdivision thereof, or any
   42  public agency of state or local government.
   43         2. An early learning coalition for administration of direct
   44  services to children identified by the board.
   45         3. The division for purposes of program recognition and
   46  marketing, public relations, and education.
   47         (e) The board may advertise and solicit applications for
   48  funding and shall evaluate applications and program proposals
   49  submitted thereto. Funding shall be awarded only where the
   50  evaluation is positive and the proposal meets both the
   51  guidelines for use established in subsection (6) and such
   52  evaluation criteria as the State Board of Education may
   53  prescribe by rule.
   54         (f) The board shall monitor, review, and annually evaluate
   55  funded programs to determine whether funding should be
   56  continued, terminated, reduced, or increased.
   57         (g) The board shall establish an operating account as
   58  provided in paragraph (4)(c).
   59         (h) The board may take additional actions, including the
   60  hiring of necessary staff, as are deemed necessary and
   61  appropriate to administer this section, subject to rules of the
   62  State Board of Education.
   63         (6) DISTRIBUTION OF MONEYS.—The board shall use the moneys
   64  in the operating account to provide for:
   65         (a) Direct services to children in accordance with an
   66  allocation methodology proposed by the Division of Early
   67  Learning to an early learning coalition approved by the board.
   68         1. The parent or guardian of a child receiving direct
   69  services from an early learning coalition shall choose from
   70  providers under a contract with an early learning coalition
   71  pursuant to s. 1002.88.
   72         2. Unless otherwise specified by the donor, the early
   73  learning coalition shall apply a parent copay based on family
   74  income pursuant to s. 1002.84(9) or s. 1002.935(2)(b).
   75         3. The early learning coalition shall reimburse a provider
   76  serving a child using direct service funds from the early
   77  learning endowment at the same reimbursement rate allowed
   78  pursuant to s. 1002.84(17)(a).
   79         4. Each early learning coalition providing direct services
   80  must comply with the same administrative requirements under this
   81  part.
   82         (b) Programs designed to support early learning as
   83  identified by donors, gifts, or grants.
   84  
   85  Any allocation of funds made for programs pursuant to paragraph
   86  (b) or for advertising or consulting is subject to a competitive
   87  solicitation process. State funds may not be used to fund events
   88  for private sector donors or potential donors or to honor
   89  supporters.
   90         (7) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Division of Early Learning shall
   91  include information in its report of activities pursuant to s.
   92  1002.82(7) summarizing the performance of the endowment fund for
   93  the previous fiscal year, summarizing the foundation’s
   94  fundraising activities and performance, and detailing the
   95  activities and programs supported by the endowment principal or
   96  earnings on the endowment principal and the activities and
   97  programs supported by private sources, bequests, gifts, grants,
   98  donations, and other valued goods and services received. The
   99  report must also include all of the following:
  100         (a) Financial data, by service type, including expenditures
  101  for administration and the provision of services by each early
  102  learning coalition.
  103         (b) The amount of funds spent on administrative expenses
  104  and fundraising and the amount of funds raised from private
  105  sources.
  106         (c) Outcome data, including the number of children served
  107  and any child outcomes.
  108         (8) RULES.—The State Board of Education shall adopt rules
  109  to implement
  110  
  111  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  112  And the title is amended as follows:
  113         Delete line 58
  114  and insert:
  115         activities; requiring the State Board of Education to