BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 47
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Date of Hearing: May 20, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
47 (McCarty) - As Amended May 6, 2015
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill requires, on or before January 1, 2017, all eligible
children that qualify for the State Preschool Program (SPP), to
have access to the program the year before they enter
kindergarten, if their parents wish to enroll them. It also
AB 47
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expresses Legislative intent to provide sufficient funding in
the annual Budget Act to provide all low-income children access
to either the SPP or a transitional kindergarten (TK) program
and, expresses further intent that these programs be
full-day/full-year programs.
FISCAL EFFECT:
Ongoing costs in the hundreds of millions to provide all
eligible children access to the SPP. There are approximately
250,000 four year olds eligible for the SPP. Of those children,
roughly half have either two working parents or one parent
working (in a one parent household), making 125,000 children
eligible for a full-day program.
The Governor's January budget provided funding for just under
152,000 SPP slots (of which 54,046 were full day). To provide an
additional 100,000 slots (75,000 of which would need to be full
day, full year to meet the eligible population) it would cost
$400 million (Prop. 98/GF) (morning portion of 100,000 slots)
and $391 million non-Prop. 98/GF (for 75,000 the remaining cost
of the full day, full year slots).
COMMENTS:
1)Background. The SPP offers part-day and full-day preschool
programs through contracts with local educational agencies,
private contractors, and colleges. Income eligibility is 70%
of the SMI ($46,896 for a family of four). Part-day preschool
operates three hours per day for 175 days. The General Child
Care program provides "wrap around" to provide full-day care.
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2)Purpose. The 2014-15 Budget Act provided $664 million for the
SSP for the part-day program. This included 7,500 additional
slots for preschool, plus an additional 4,000 slots to become
effective on June 15, 2015. According to the CDE, when the
4,000 part day slots were offered to contractors and school
districts, the CDE received requests for over 32,301 slots.
Early Edge California is sponsoring this bill to "expand on
last year's commitment from the
Governor and Legislature to expand the state preschool program
to all low income families who do not have access to one year
of state preschool or transitional kindergarten."
Analysis Prepared by:Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916) 319-2081