HF 347 – DHS childcare program licensure on school grounds
HF 599 – SAVE added to reorganization and dissolution of a school district
FLOOR ACTION
HF 347 makes the Department of Human Services (DHS) the only state agency responsible for the licensure of childcare programs located in a school. Under current law, either DHS or the Department of Education is required to license a childcare program operated by a school district or accredited nonpublic school. The bill takes effect January 1, 2016, except that DHS may begin implementation prior to that date. A floor amendment struck two of the current DHS child care program exceptions to licensure. The House refused to concur with the Senate Amendment. The Senate receded from their amendment to eliminate the two childcare exemptions to licensure. The bill now goes to the Governor. [4/20: 48-0 (Bertrand, Johnson excused)]
HF 599 adds to Reorganization and Dissolution of School Districts, oversight and protections in the case of any outstanding bonds issued through the Secure and Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE) fund. This corrects an oversight in the law by providing a process that helps protect outstanding bonds and debts; ensuring districts don’t go into default on their loans if the students generating the revenue enroll in other districts. This legislation requires that either (a) the SAVE bonds be assumed by the merging district when a merger is consummated, or (b) the enrollment in the original school district be tracked, regardless of which neighboring school a child attends, and that the revenue per pupil from that child be used to retire the SAVE bonds, unless the accepting school districts come up with a different approach that ensures that the SAVE revenue is available to retire the bonds. This includes a review by the Area Education Agencies in the case of reorganization and liabilities issued and the impact on surrounding districts in the case of dissolution of a school district. [4/20: 48-0 (Bertrand, Johnson excused)]