79-1104.01.

Nebraska Early Childhood Education Endowment; endowment provider; requirements; endowment agreement; Early Childhood Education Endowment Fund; Early Childhood Education Endowment Cash Fund; created; investment.

(1) Within ninety days after July 14, 2006, the State Department of Education shall request proposals from private endowments with experience in managing public and private funds for the benefit of children and families in multiple locations in Nebraska to be the endowment provider for the Nebraska Early Childhood Education Endowment upon the terms set forth in this section.

(2) An endowment seeking to become the endowment provider for the Nebraska Early Childhood Education Endowment shall agree to:

(a) Irrevocably commit, subject to subdivision (4)(a) of this section, no less than twenty million dollars in a private endowment to be used solely as part of the Nebraska Early Childhood Education Endowment within five years after the effective date of the endowment agreement, of which no less than five million dollars shall be pledged on the effective date of the endowment agreement. A minimum of one million dollars shall be placed in the private endowment prior to December 31, 2006, and a minimum of five million dollars shall be placed in the private endowment prior to June 30, 2007;

(b) Commit all earnings deposited from such private endowment for deposit into the Early Childhood Education Endowment Cash Fund;

(c) Permit the board of trustees to determine the allocation of funds from the Early Childhood Education Endowment Cash Fund pursuant to section 79-1104.02; and

(d) Submit to the State Department of Education an annual financial statement of the private endowment, audited by an independent auditor and complying with all applicable Internal Revenue Service requirements. The financial statement shall report details on the private endowment, including the current value of the corpus and the annual receipts to the private endowment categorized by donations and interests, together with a report listing the amount and purpose of expenditures from the private endowment.

(3) Upon selection of an endowment provider, the State Department of Education and such endowment provider shall enter into an endowment agreement pursuant to which the state and the endowment provider will agree to deposit funds as provided in subsection (4) of this section.

(4)(a) Upon the effective date of an endowment agreement, the state shall provide for the Early Childhood Education Endowment Fund, which is hereby created, in accordance with section 79-1104.05. Any money in the fund available for investment shall be invested by the state investment officer pursuant to the Nebraska Capital Expansion Act and the Nebraska State Funds Investment Act.

(b) All interest, earnings, and proceeds from the Early Childhood Education Endowment Fund shall be deposited in the Early Childhood Education Endowment Cash Fund, which is hereby created. Any money in the fund available for investment shall be invested by the state investment officer pursuant to the Nebraska Capital Expansion Act and the Nebraska State Funds Investment Act. All interest, earnings, and proceeds from the Early Childhood Education Endowment Cash Fund shall be retained in such fund.

(c) Upon the effective date of an endowment agreement, the endowment provider shall deposit the amounts set forth in the endowment agreement into a private endowment for the sole benefit of the Early Childhood Education Endowment Fund. Money in the private endowment shall be managed by the endowment provider in accordance with sound, professional, fiduciary practices and in accordance with the endowment agreement.

(d) Earnings deposited from the private endowment shall be deposited into the Early Childhood Education Endowment Cash Fund at least annually or as the endowment agreement provides.