2023 23LSO-0626
STATE OF WYOMING
HOUSE BILL NO. HB0223
Wyoming preschool provider grants.
Sponsored by: Representative(s) Sommers, Berger and Larsen,
L and Senator(s) Barlow, Rothfuss and Schuler
A BILL
for
1 AN ACT relating to education; modifying the expenditure of
2 revenues generated by the Wyoming education trust fund;
3 establishing a grant program for preschool providers as
4 specified; defining terms; specifying requirements;
5 providing rulemaking authority; eliminating the innovative
6 program grant program; transferring funds; making
7 conforming amendments; repealing provisions; and providing
8 for an effective date.
9
10 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
11
12 Section 1. W.S. 21-22-102(a)(i) and by creating new
13 subsections (b) through (f) is amended to read:
14
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1 21-22-102. Disposition of trust fund investment
2 earnings; grant program for preschool providers;
3 application; criteria; limitations.
4
5 (a) Revenues deposited into the separate account
6 established under W.S. 21-22-101(b) shall be distributed by
7 the state treasurer as follows:
8
9 (i) To the department of education for
10 distribution in accordance with W.S. 21-22-106 and
11 21-22-107 to Wyoming school districts for programs
12 benefiting school districts to preschool providers to
13 provide preschool programs for economically disadvantaged
14 students who are at-risk.
15
16 (b) As used in this section:
17
18 (i) "At-risk student" means any student who
19 shows a probability for academic failure or nonattendance
20 when he reaches the early grades of public school;
21
22 (ii) "Economically disadvantaged student" means
23 a student who has qualified or would qualify for free or
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1 reduced priced lunches under the federal national school
2 lunch program;
3
4 (iii) "Preschool provider" means any school
5 district, preschool developmental disability program,
6 private nonprofit organization or private for-profit
7 organization eligible to receive funds under the federal
8 temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) program.
9
10 (c) A preschool provider that serves economically
11 disadvantaged students who are at-risk may apply to the
12 department of education for grants to provide state
13 financial assistance under this section for:
14
15 (i) Salaries, wages and benefits for teachers
16 paid by the preschool provider, directly attributable to
17 teaching economically disadvantaged students who are
18 at-risk;
19
20 (ii) Expenses for accounting, tax preparation
21 and financial audits associated with operation of the
22 preschool provider;
23
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1 (iii) Insurance premiums for liability
2 insurance, including general liability insurance, for the
3 operation of the preschool provider and automobiles
4 utilized for operation of the preschool provider;
5
6 (iv) Building or facility lease or rental
7 expenses, utilities and initial expenses associated with
8 the operation of the preschool provider;
9
10 (v) Costs for trainings or activities for
11 parents or guardians to help increase their capacity to
12 facilitate the development of cognitive, language,
13 social-emotional, adaptive or motor skills to promote
14 learning readiness of their children and promote effective
15 parenting. Costs may include training materials, food,
16 facility or building rental or lease expenses and supplies;
17 and
18
19 (vi) Office supplies, textbooks, assessments,
20 curriculum and other learning materials to enhance early
21 childhood literacy, math and other domains to ensure early
22 childhood readiness.
23
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1 (d) A grant awarded under this section shall be for a
2 period of one (1) year and shall not exceed fifty thousand
3 dollars ($50,000.00) per year. Applications for a grant
4 under this section shall be submitted on a form and in a
5 manner specified by rule of the department of education,
6 shall be filed with the department on or before May 15 and
7 shall at a minimum include:
8
9 (i) A proposal documenting the preschool
10 provider's financial need for financial assistance for the
11 expenses contained in subsection (b) of this section;
12
13 (ii) The purpose, plan and timeline for
14 expenditure of grant amounts;
15
16 (iii) Other necessary information required by
17 the department.
18
19 (e) The department of education shall annually
20 distribute grant funds to selected preschool providers on
21 or before October 1. In no event shall grants awarded
22 exceed funds available for this purpose within the separate
23 account. Grants received under this section shall only be
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1 used for the purposes for which the grant is awarded and
2 shall not be expended for any other program, activity or
3 purpose.
4
5 (f) The department of education shall promulgate
6 rules necessary to carry out this section.
7
8 Section 2. W.S. 21-22-101(c), 21-22-106 and 21-22-107
9 are repealed.
10
11 Section 3. On July 1, 2023, the state auditor shall
12 transfer fifty million dollars ($50,000,000.00) from the
13 public school foundation program account to the Wyoming
14 education trust fund.
15
16 Section 4. This act is effective July 1, 2023.
17
18 (END)
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Statutes affected:
Introduced: 21-22-102, 21-22-101, 21-22-106, 21-22-107