By Swinford, Davis, Johnson, Romo, Kubiak             H.B. No. 2506
       74R5605 CBH-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to certain minimum standards for child-care facilities.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Section 42.042, Human Resources Code, is amended
    1-5  by adding Subsection (m) to read as follows:
    1-6        (m)  The department shall ensure that each child-care
    1-7  facility complies with the appropriate minimum standards relating
    1-8  to staff-child ratios, group sizes, and square footage as those
    1-9  minimum standards existed on September 1, 1985.  The department may
   1-10  not adopt new standards in relation to staff-child ratios, group
   1-11  sizes, or square footage that are more stringent than the 1985
   1-12  standards.
   1-13        SECTION 2.  This section takes effect September 1, 1995.  Any
   1-14  child-care facility minimum standards relating to staff-child
   1-15  ratios, group sizes, or square footage that conflict with the
   1-16  minimum standards as they existed on September 1, 1985, are
   1-17  repealed on the effective date of this Act.
   1-18        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-19  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-20  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-21  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-22  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.