Amendment
Bill No. 1600

Amendment No. 896033

CHAMBER ACTION
Senate		House
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1	Representative(s) Ausley offered the following:
2
3	Amendment (with title amendment)
4	On page 3, line(s) 18, insert:
5	Section 1.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (5) of section
6	411.01, Florida Statutes, as amended by chapter 2004-484, Laws
7	of Florida, is amended to read:
8	411.01  School readiness programs; early learning
9	coalitions.--
10	(5)  CREATION OF EARLY LEARNING COALITIONS.--
11	(a)  Early learning coalitions.--
12	1.  The Agency for Workforce Innovation shall establish the
13	minimum number of children to be served by each early learning
14	coalition through the coalition's school readiness program. The
15	Agency for Workforce Innovation may only approve school
16	readiness plans in accordance with this minimum number. The
17	minimum number must be uniform for every early learning
18	coalition and must:
19	a.  Permit 30 or fewer coalitions to be established; and
20	b.  Require each coalition to serve at least 2,000 children
21	based upon the average number of all children served per month
22	through the coalition's school readiness program during the
23	previous 12 months.
24
25	The Agency for Workforce Innovation shall adopt procedures for
26	merging early learning coalitions, including procedures for the
27	consolidation of merging coalitions, and for the early
28	termination of the terms of coalition members which are
29	necessary to accomplish the mergers. Each early learning
30	coalition must comply with the merger procedures and shall be
31	organized in accordance with this subparagraph by April 1, 2005.
32	By June 30, 2005, each coalition must complete the transfer of
33	powers, duties, functions, rules, records, personnel, property,
34	and unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations, and
35	other funds to the successor coalition, if applicable.
36	Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection , the early
37	learning coalition that includes Jefferson, Liberty, Madison,
38	Wakulla, and Taylor counties currently in operation is
39	established and authorized to continue operation as an
40	independent coalition and shall not be counted toward the limit
41	of 30 coalitions pursuant to this subsection.
42	2.  If an early learning coalition would serve fewer
43	children than the minimum number established under subparagraph
44	1., the coalition must merge with another county to form a
45	multicounty coalition. However, the Agency for Workforce
46	Innovation may authorize an early learning coalition to serve
47	fewer children than the minimum number established under
48	subparagraph 1., if:
49	a.  The coalition demonstrates to the Agency for Workforce
50	Innovation that merging with another county or multicounty
51	region contiguous to the coalition would cause an extreme
52	hardship on the coalition;
53	b.  The Agency for Workforce Innovation has determined
54	during the most recent annual review of the coalition's school
55	readiness plan, or through monitoring and performance
56	evaluations conducted under paragraph (4)(l), that the coalition
57	has substantially implemented its plan and substantially met the
58	performance standards and outcome measures adopted by the
59	agency; and
60	c.  The coalition demonstrates to the Agency for Workforce
61	Innovation the coalition's ability to effectively and
62	efficiently implement the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
63	Program.
64
65	If an early learning coalition fails or refuses to merge as
66	required by this subparagraph, the Agency for Workforce
67	Innovation may dissolve the coalition and temporarily contract
68	with a qualified entity to continue school readiness and
69	prekindergarten services in the coalition's county or
70	multicounty region until the coalition is reestablished through
71	resubmission of a school readiness plan and approval by the
72	agency.
73	3.  Each early learning coalition shall be composed of at
74	least 18 members but not more than 35 members. The Agency for
75	Workforce Innovation shall adopt standards establishing within
76	this range the minimum and maximum number of members that may be
77	appointed to an early learning coalition. These standards must
78	include variations for a coalition serving a multicounty region.
79	Each early learning coalition must comply with these standards.
80	4.  The Governor shall appoint the chair and two other
81	members of each early learning coalition, who must each meet the
82	same qualifications as private-sector business members appointed
83	by the coalition under subparagraph 6.
84	5.  Each early learning coalition must include the
85	following members:
86	a.  A Department of Children and Family Services district
87	administrator or his or her designee who is authorized to make
88	decisions on behalf of the department.
89	b.  A district superintendent of schools or his or her
90	designee who is authorized to make decisions on behalf of the
91	district, who shall be a nonvoting member.
92	c.  A regional workforce board executive director or his or
93	her designee.
94	d.  A county health department director or his or her
95	designee.
96	e.  A children's services council or juvenile welfare board
97	chair or executive director, if applicable, who shall be a
98	nonvoting member if the council or board is the fiscal agent of
99	the coalition or if the council or board contracts with and
100	receives funds from the coalition.
101	f.  An agency head of a local licensing agency as defined
102	in s. 402.302, where applicable.
103	g.  A president of a community college or his or her
104	designee.
105	h.  One member appointed by a board of county
106	commissioners.
107	i.  A central agency administrator, where applicable, who
108	shall be a nonvoting member.
109	j.  A Head Start director, who shall be a nonvoting member.
110	k.  A representative of private child care providers,
111	including family day care homes, who shall be a nonvoting
112	member.
113	l.  A representative of faith-based child care providers,
114	who shall be a nonvoting member.
115	m.  A representative of programs for children with
116	disabilities under the federal Individuals with Disabilities
117	Education Act, who shall be a nonvoting member.
118	6.  Including the members appointed by the Governor under
119	subparagraph 4., more than one-third of the members of each
120	early learning coalition must be private-sector business members
121	who do not have, and none of whose relatives as defined in s.
122	112.3143 has, a substantial financial interest in the design or
123	delivery of the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program
124	created under part V of chapter 1002 or the coalition's school
125	readiness program. To meet this requirement an early learning
126	coalition must appoint additional members from a list of
127	nominees submitted to the coalition by a chamber of commerce or
128	economic development council within the geographic region served
129	by the coalition. The Agency for Workforce Innovation shall
130	establish criteria for appointing private-sector business
131	members. These criteria must include standards for determining
132	whether a member or relative has a substantial financial
133	interest in the design or delivery of the Voluntary
134	Prekindergarten Education Program or the coalition's school
135	readiness program.
136	7.  A majority of the voting membership of an early
137	learning coalition constitutes a quorum required to conduct the
138	business of the coalition.
139	8.  A voting member of an early learning coalition may not
140	appoint a designee to act in his or her place, except as
141	otherwise provided in this paragraph. A voting member may send a
142	representative to coalition meetings, but that representative
143	does not have voting privileges. When a district administrator
144	for the Department of Children and Family Services appoints a
145	designee to an early learning coalition, the designee is the
146	voting member of the coalition, and any individual attending in
147	the designee's place, including the district administrator, does
148	not have voting privileges.
149	9.  Each member of an early learning coalition is subject
150	to ss. 112.313, 112.3135, and 112.3143. For purposes of s.
151	112.3143(3)(a), each voting member is a local public officer who
152	must abstain from voting when a voting conflict exists.
153	10.  For purposes of tort liability, each member or
154	employee of an early learning coalition shall be governed by s.
155	768.28.
156	11.  An early learning coalition serving a multicounty
157	region must include representation from each county.
158	12.  Each early learning coalition shall establish terms
159	for all appointed members of the coalition. The terms must be
160	staggered and must be a uniform length that does not exceed 4
161	years per term. Appointed members may serve a maximum of two
162	consecutive terms. When a vacancy occurs in an appointed
163	position, the coalition must advertise the vacancy.
164
165	================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T =================
166	On page 1, line(s) 2,
167	remove:  all of said line
168
169	and insert:
170	An act relating to child care; amending s. 411.01, F.S.;
171	providing that specified counties continue to operate as an
172	independent early learning coalition for certain purposes;
173	transferring,

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