HB 877 — School Readiness Program

F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HBCS/HB 877 2025 A bill to be entitled An act relating to the school readiness program;

who is from a working family that is economically disadvantaged, and may include such Page 1 of 56 CODING:

hb877-00hb877-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HBCS/HB 877 2025 child's eligible siblings, beginning with the school year in which the sibling is eligible for admission to kindergarten in a public school under s.

A child who has special needs and, has been determined eligible as a student who requires additional accommodations Page 2 of 56 CODING:

hb877-00hb877-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HBCS/HB 877 2025 beyond those required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The child's special needs and associated accommodations must be validated by a licensed health care professional, a licensed mental health professional, or an educational psychologist.

Such person may not be the child's parent or relative or a person employed by a child care provider.

A written determination of required accommodations by a licensed health care professional, a licensed mental health professional, or an educational psychologist needs child eligible under this paragraph remains eligible until the child is eligible for admission to kindergarten in a public school under s.

(2) A school readiness program provider may be paid only for authorized hours of care provided for a child in the school readinessPage program.3 of 6 CODING:

A child enrolled in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program may receive care from the school readiness program if the child is eligible according to Page 3 of 5 CODING:

hb877-00hb877-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HBCS/HB 877 2025 thereadiness eligibilityprogram. priorities and criteria established in subsection (1).

A child enrolled in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program may receive care from the school readiness program if the child is eligible according to the eligibility priorities and criteria established in subsection (1).

All expenditures from the special needs differential allocation shall be used by the department to help meet federal targeted requirements for improving quality to thePage extent4 allowableof in6 theCODING: state's approved plan.

A school readiness program provider is eligible for funding through the allocation to implement the special needs differential rate upon Page 4 of 5 CODING:

hb877-00hb877-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HBCS/HB 877 2025 meeting all of the followingextent requirementsallowable byin Julythe 1,state's 2027:approved plan.

A school readiness program provider is eligible for funding through the allocation to implement the special needs differential rate upon meeting all of the following requirements beginning July 1, 2027:

TheInstructional staff employed or contracted by the provider has completed training on early identification of social and communication delays as specified by the department.

The providerinstructor hasassigned completedby 10 hours of training in inclusive early childhood or inclusive school-age education practices within the precedingprovider 2-yearto period with the providerchild completingin anneed additional 10 hours of suchadditional trainingaccommodations eachunder subsequents. 5-year period as specified by the department.

1002.87(1)(c)6.

has completed 10 hours of training in inclusive early childhood or inclusive school-age education practices within the first 90 days after the child's enrollment or within 90 days after hiring of a new instructor assigned by the provider to a child in need of additional accommodations under s.

1002.87(1)(c)6.

After the initial determination of eligibility, the provider must maintain the required program composite score and the instructor assigned by the provider to a child in need of additional accommodations under s.

1002.87(1)(c)6.

must complete a minimum of 2 hours of relevant training in each subsequent year after the initial determination of eligibility in order to Page 5 of 6 CODING:

Words stricken are deletions;

words underlined are additions.

hb877-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S CS/HB 877 2025 remain eligible to implement the special needs differential rate.

This act shall take effect July 1, 2027.2025.

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hb877-00hb877-01-c1