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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the evaluation of and improvements to the quality of the |
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Texas Workforce Commission's subsidized child care program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 302.0042, Labor Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (c) to read as |
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follows: |
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(b) The commission's evaluation must assess: |
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(1) the use of current federal child care funds by each |
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local workforce development board; |
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(2) the ability of each local workforce development |
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board to meet child care performance measures; |
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(3) the estimated [average] cost incurred by child |
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care providers [of child care] in each local workforce development |
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area as stated in the report required under 45 C.F.R. Section |
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98.45(f)(1); |
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(4) the average price charged by child care providers |
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for child care in each local workforce development area as stated in |
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the market rate survey conducted under 45 C.F.R. Section 98.45(c); |
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(5) the poverty rate of each local workforce |
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development area compared to the state's poverty rate; |
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(6) [(5)] the number of children on waiting lists for |
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child care in each local workforce development area; [and] |
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(7) [(6)] the number of places that are reserved for |
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participants in the child care subsidy program out of the total |
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number of children enrolled with a provider on a full-time basis |
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categorized by age of the child for each provider [vacant slots
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available for child care placement] in each local workforce |
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development area that is certified as a 2-star, 3-star, or 4-star |
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provider in the Texas Rising Star Program or that does not |
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participate in the Texas Rising Star Program; |
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(8) the total number of child care providers |
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participating in the Texas Rising Star Program in each local |
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workforce development area and the number of 2-star, 3-star, and |
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4-star rated child care providers in the local workforce |
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development area; |
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(9) the number of child care providers participating |
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in the Texas Rising Star Program in each local workforce |
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development area as a percentage of the total number of subsidized |
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child care providers in the local workforce development area and |
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the number of 2-star, 3-star, and 4-star rated child care providers |
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in the local workforce development area as a percentage of the total |
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number of subsidized child care providers in the local workforce |
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development area; |
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(10) the total number of children enrolled in |
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subsidized child care providers participating in the Texas Rising |
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Star Program in each local workforce development area and the |
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number of subsidized children enrolled in 2-star, 3-star, and |
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4-star rated child care providers in the local workforce |
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development area; and |
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(11) the number of subsidized children enrolled in |
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child care providers participating in the Texas Rising Star Program |
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in each local workforce development area as a percentage of the |
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total number of subsidized children enrolled in child care |
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providers in the local workforce development area and the number of |
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subsidized children enrolled in 2-star, 3-star, and 4-star rated |
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child care providers in the local workforce development area as a |
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percentage of the total number of subsidized children enrolled in |
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child care providers in the local workforce development area. |
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(c) For the purposes of evaluation under this section, the |
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commission shall annually update the information described by |
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Subsections (b)(6)-(11). |
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SECTION 2. Section 302.0043, Labor Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (c-1) and amending Subsections (e) and (f) to |
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read as follows: |
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(c-1) The commission shall measure and evaluate the |
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progress of the commission's child care program regarding: |
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(1) coordination by the commission with the Texas |
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Education Agency to assign a Public Education Information |
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Management System (PEIMS) number to children younger than six years |
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of age enrolled in the commission's child care program; |
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(2) coordination with the Texas Education Agency, |
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school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools on any |
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prekindergarten quality improvement efforts; |
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(3) efforts to increase coordination between |
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participating providers in the commission's child care program, |
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school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools; |
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(4) facilitation of child care provider enrollment in |
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the Texas Rising Star Program and progression of providers to the |
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highest rating level in the program; and |
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(5) development and implementation of rates and |
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payments, as determined by local workforce development boards, to: |
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(A) allow participating providers to provide |
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high quality child care; and |
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(B) ensure that the commission meets performance |
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measures established by the legislature for the average number of |
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children served by the commission's child care program per day. |
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(e) The commission shall make the information collected by |
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the commission and the commission's findings available to local |
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workforce development boards, school districts, open-enrollment |
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charter schools, and the public. |
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(f) Not later than January 15 of each odd-numbered year, the |
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commission shall report to the legislature regarding the |
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commission's findings regarding the effectiveness of the |
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commission's child care program. The report must: |
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(1) include employment outcome information, |
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disaggregated by local workforce development area, regarding |
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parents receiving subsidized care under the program; [and] |
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(2) identify multiyear trends in the information |
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collected and analyzed by the commission under this section, |
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including trends in the information for at least the five state |
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fiscal years preceding the date of the report; and |
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(3) include information described by Sections |
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302.0042(b)(8)-(11). |
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SECTION 3. Section 302.00435, Labor Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 302.00435. SUBSIDIZED CHILD CARE PROGRAM; INPUT |
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POLICY. (a) The commission shall develop a policy for obtaining, |
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through appropriate methods, input from interested parties |
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regarding its subsidized child care program and for using that |
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input in administering that program. |
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(b) The policy developed under Subsection (a) must include |
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methods for obtaining input from the Texas Education Agency, school |
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districts, open-enrollment charter schools, subsidized child care |
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providers, relevant businesses, and the public, regarding: |
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(1) improving coordination between the subsidized |
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child care program and prekindergarten programs; and |
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(2) increasing the quality of and access to the |
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subsidized child care program. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |