wa-law.org > bill > 2023-24 > HB 2195 > Passed Legislature

HB 2195 - Early learning facilities

Source

Section 1

  1. Activities eligible for funding through the early learning facilities grant and loan program for eligible organizations include:

    1. Facility predesign grants or loans to allow eligible organizations to secure professional services or consult with organizations certified by the community development financial institutions fund to plan for and assess the feasibility of early learning facilities projects or receive other technical assistance to design and develop projects for construction funding;

    2. Grants or loans for predevelopment activities to advance a proposal from planning to major construction or renovation;

    3. Grants or loans for renovations or repairs of existing early learning facilities;

    4. Major construction and renovation grants or loans and grants or loans for facility purchases to create or expand early learning facilities; and

    5. Administration costs associated with conducting application processes, managing contracts, translation services, and providing technical assistance.

  2. For grants or loans awarded under subsection (1)(c) and (d) of this section, the department must prioritize applications for facilities that are ready for construction.

  3. Activities eligible for funding through the early learning facilities grant and loan program for school districts include major construction, purchase, and renovation grants or loans to create or expand early learning facilities that received priority and ranking as described in RCW 43.31.581.

Section 2

For early learning facilities collocated with affordable or supportive housing developments, the department may remit state funding on a reimbursement basis for 90 percent of eligible project costs, regardless of the project's match amount, once the nonstate share of project costs have been either expended or firmly committed in an amount sufficient to complete the entire project or a distinct phase of the project that is useable to the public as an early learning facility. Eligible housing developments are projects that have received public funding and have secured enough funding to complete construction of the project that will result in a certificate of occupancy to open the affordable housing development, including the early learning facility.

Section 3

  1. Organizations eligible to receive funding from the early learning facilities grant and loan program include:

    1. Early childhood education and assistance program providers;

    2. Working connections child care providers who are eligible to receive state subsidies;

    3. Licensed early learning centers not currently participating in the early childhood education and assistance program, but intending to do so;

    4. Developers of housing and community facilities;

    5. Community and technical colleges;

    6. Educational service districts;

    7. Local governments;

    8. Federally recognized tribes in the state; and

      1. Religiously affiliated entities.

  2. To be eligible to receive funding from the early learning facilities grant and loan program for activities described in RCW 43.31.577 (1) (b), (c), and (d) and (2), eligible organizations and school districts must:

    1. Commit to being an active participant in good standing with the early achievers program as defined by chapter 43.216 RCW; and

    2. Demonstrate that projects receiving construction, purchase, or renovation grants or loans must also:

      1. Demonstrate that the project site is under the applicant's control for a minimum of ten years, either through ownership or a long-term lease; and

      2. Commit to using the facility funded by the grant or loan for the purposes of providing preschool or child care for a minimum of ten years.

  3. To be eligible to receive funding from the early learning facilities grant and loan program for activities described in RCW 43.31.577 (1) (b), (c), and (d) and (2), religiously affiliated entities must use the facility to provide child care and education services consistent with subsection (4)(a) of this section.

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    1. Upon receiving a grant or loan, the recipient must continue to be an active participant and in good standing with the early achievers program.

    2. If the recipient does not meet the conditions specified in (a) of this subsection, the grants shall be repaid to the early learning facilities revolving account or the early learning facilities development account, as directed by the department. So long as an eligible organization continues to provide an early learning program in the facility, the facility is used as authorized, and the eligible organization continues to be an active participant and in good standing with the early achievers program, the grant repayment is waived.

    3. The department, in consultation with the department of children, youth, and families, may adopt rules to implement this section.

Section 4

If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

Section 5

Section 1 of this act takes effect July 1, 2025.

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