BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 1341 By: Stiles (Lucio) Finance 5-16-95 Senate Committee Report (Amended) BACKGROUND In 1987, the legislature created the Child Care Resource Clearinghouse to develop expertise and provide technical assistance to state agencies and public and private employers regarding options for offering child day care as an employee benefit. Partial funding for the clearinghouse comes from a $2 surcharge on certified copies of birth certificates issued by the State Bureau of Vital Statistics. Fiscal, legal, and other in-kind support is provided by the Texas Employment Commission. However, in 1991, the scope of this mission was expanded and renamed the Work and Family Policies Clearinghouse by the legislature. The legislation mandated the clearinghouse to provide information concerning technical assistance, dependent care, and other employment-related family issues to public and private employers, state agencies, policy makers and individuals. In 1993, the administration of the School Child Care Services Fund was transferred from the Texas Department of Community Affairs to the Texas Employment Commission. The clearinghouse was designated to administer the federally funded Dependent Care Development Grant. These grants assist the clearinghouse in the development of child care resources. PURPOSE As proposed, H.B. 1341 provides additional funding from a $2 dollar surcharge on birth certificates issued at the local level for the Work and Family Policies Clearinghouse for a grant program for demonstration dependent care projects. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is granted to the Work and Family Policies Clearinghouse under SECTION 4 (Sec. 81.0045, Labor Code) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Sections 191.0045(d) and (f), Health and Safety Code, as follows: (d) Requires a local registrar who issues a certified copy of a birth or death certificate to charge the same fees as charged by the bureau of vital statistics, including the additional fee required under Subsection (e), except as provide by Subsection (g). (f) Authorizes money in the fund to be used only for the purposes prescribed by Section 81.006, Labor Code, rather than Section 4, Article 5221g-1, V.T.C.S. (g) Authorizes a local registrar that on March 31, 1995, was charging a fee for the issuance of a certified birth certificate that exceeded the fee charged by the bureau of vital statistics for the same type of certificate to continue to do so. Prohibits the registrar from raising the fee until the fee charged by the bureau exceeds the fee charged by the local registrar. Requires a local registrar to which this subsection applies to charge the additional fee as required under Subsection (e). SECTION 2. Amends Section 191.022, Health and Safety Code, by adding Subsection (f), to require a local registrar who collects a fee for a certified copy of a birth certificate to deduct 20 cents of that fee to apply to the registrar's administrative costs and remit $1.80 of that fee to the comptroller for deposit in the work and family policies fund. SECTION 3. Amends Section 118.015, Government Code, to require a county clerk who collects a fee under this section for a certified copy of a birth certificate to deduct 20 cents of that fee to apply to the clerk's administrative costs and remit $1.80 of that fee to the comptroller for deposit in the work and family policies fund. Makes conforming changes. SECTION 4. Amends Chapter 81, Labor Code, by adding Section 81.0045, as follows: Sec. 81.0045. DEPENDENT CARE GRANT PROGRAM. (a) Authorizes the Work and Family Policy Clearinghouse (clearinghouse) to establish a grant program to provide funds to public or private persons to conduct demonstration dependent care projects. (b) Requires the clearinghouse to adopt rules governing the submission and approval of grant requests and the cancellation of grants. (c) Requires a person whose is approved to execute an interagency agreement or a contract with the clearinghouse to receive a grant. Requires the contract to require the person receiving the grant to perform the services as stated in the approved grant request. Requires the contract to contain appropriate provisions for program and fiscal monitoring. SECTION 5. Amends Section 81.006(a), Labor Code, to provide that money in the fund is derived from fees deposited as required by Sections 191.0045 and 191.022(f), Health and Safety Code, and Section 118.015(b), Local Government Code. SECTION 6. Effective date: September 1, 1995. Makes application of this Act prospective. SECTION 7. Emergency clause.