SRC-AAA, HRD S.B. 503 75(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterS.B. 503
By: Ellis
Finance
2-18-97
As Filed


DIGEST 

Currently, the School Child Care Services Program (program) is not in
effect because it was eliminated during the 74th Texas Legislature. The
program  encouraged school districts to study and to act with community
input regarding the need for child care services in Texas schools.  This
fund provided for approximately 10 grants of $40,000 each to accredited
independent school districts and served 900 children per year.  In order
to restore the program, legislative action is necessary.  This bill
re-establishes the program.  S.B. 503 allows the Texas Work and Family
Policies Clearinghouse in the Texas Workforce Commission to provide grants
to local school districts for the purpose of implementing school child
care services before and after the school day for a school district's
schoolaged students.  

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 503 authorizes the Work and Family Policies
Clearinghouse to distribute money appropriated by the legislature to
school districts for the purpose of implementing school-age child care
before and after the school day and during school holidays and vacations
for a school district's school-aged children.  In addition, this bill sets
forth guidelines regarding the use of the money. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is granted to the Texas Workforce Commission under
SECTION 1 (Section 33.902(d), Education Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 33.902, Education Code, by amending Section (c)
and adding Section (d), as follows: 

(c) Makes standard recodification changes.

(d) Authorizes the Work and Family Policies Clearinghouse (clearinghouse)
to distribute money appropriated by the legislature to any school district
for the purpose of implementing school-age child care before and after the
school day and during school holidays and vacations for a school
district's school-aged students.  Requires eligible use of funds to
include planning, development, establishment, expansion, or improvement of
child care services and reasonable start-up costs.  Authorizes the
clearinghouse to distribute money to pay fees charged for providing
services to students who are considered to be at risk of dropping out of
school under Section 29.081.  Requires the Texas Workforce Commission, by
rule, to establish procedures and eligibility requirements for
distributing this money to school districts. 

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1997.

SECTION 3. Emergency clause.