By Hodge                                        H.B. No. 1925

      75R7968 E                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to public prekindergarten programs.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 29.153, Education Code, is amended to

 1-5     read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 29.153.  Prekindergarten.  (a)  Any school district may

 1-7     offer prekindergarten classes, but a district shall offer

 1-8     prekindergarten classes if the district identifies 15 or more

 1-9     eligible children who are at least four years of age on September 1

1-10     of the school year. [A school district may offer prekindergarten

1-11     classes if the district identifies 15 or more eligible children who

1-12     are at least three years of age.]

1-13           (b)  [A child is eligible for enrollment in a prekindergarten

1-14     class if the child is at least three years of age and is:]

1-15                 [(1)  unable to speak and comprehend the English

1-16     language;]

1-17                 [(2)  educationally disadvantaged; or]

1-18                 [(3)  homeless, as defined by 42 U.S.C. Section 11302,

1-19     regardless of the residence of the child, of either parent of the

1-20     child, or of the child's guardian or other person having lawful

1-21     control of the child.]

1-22           [(c)]  A prekindergarten class shall be operated on a

1-23     half-day basis.  A district is not required to provide

1-24     transportation for a prekindergarten class, but transportation, if

 2-1     provided, is included for funding purposes as part of the regular

 2-2     transportation system.

 2-3           (c) [(d)  On application of a district, the commissioner may

 2-4     exempt a district from the application of this section if the

 2-5     district would be required to construct classroom facilities in

 2-6     order to provide prekindergarten classes.]

 2-7           [(e)]  Each school district shall develop a system to notify

 2-8     the population in the district with children who are eligible for

 2-9     enrollment in a prekindergarten class of the availability of the

2-10     class.  The system must include public notices issued in English

2-11     and Spanish.

2-12           (d) [(f)]  A district's prekindergarten program shall be

2-13     designed to develop skills necessary for success in the regular

2-14     public school curriculum, including language, mathematics, and

2-15     social skills.

2-16           (e) [(g)]  If a school district contracts with a private

2-17     entity for the operation of the district's prekindergarten program,

2-18     the program must at a minimum comply with the applicable child-care

2-19     licensing standards adopted by the Texas Department of Human

2-20     Services under Section 42.042, Human Resources Code.

2-21           SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 1997-1998

2-22     school year.

2-23           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-24     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-25     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-26     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-27     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 3-1     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 3-2     passage, and it is so enacted.