1-1           By:  Ellis, et al.                               S.B. No. 213

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed January 15, 1997; January 16, 1997,

 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human

 1-4     Services; March 17, 1997, reported adversely, with favorable

 1-5     Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0;

 1-6     March 17, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 213                 By:  Moncrief

 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-9                                   AN ACT

1-10     relating to the establishment of a child-care training center pilot

1-11     program for certain recipients of public assistance.

1-12           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-13           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 302, Labor Code, is amended

1-14     by adding Section 302.003 to read as follows:

1-15           Sec. 302.003.  CHILD-CARE TRAINING CENTER PILOT PROGRAM.

1-16     (a)  The commission shall establish a pilot program in which the

1-17     division shall certify day-care facilities licensed under Chapter

1-18     42, Human Resources Code, in a county having a population of more

1-19     than 2.8 million as training centers that offer training and

1-20     certification for recipients of public assistance in basic skills,

1-21     child care, child-care vendor entrepreneurial training, and early

1-22     childhood education.

1-23           (b)  The commission shall cooperate with the Department of

1-24     Protective and Regulatory Services in the adoption of rules under

1-25     this section.  The commission may not adopt a rule under this

1-26     section that conflicts with a rule of the Department of Protective

1-27     and Regulatory Services.

1-28           (c)  The commission shall award a contract to a child-care

1-29     facility to act as a training center based on:

1-30                 (1)  the level of training of the facility's staff; and

1-31                 (2)  the history of the facility in delivering

1-32     high-quality care.

1-33           (d)  The child-care subsidy for a person who participates in

1-34     training through a pilot program and who qualifies for a subsidy

1-35     for the person's child shall be paid directly to the facility.  The

1-36     facility is not required to count such a person in the facility's

1-37     child-to-staff ratio.

1-38           (e)  A person who is a recipient of financial assistance

1-39     under Chapter 31, Human Resources Code, may qualify to participate

1-40     in training through a pilot program by applying to the commission

1-41     and:

1-42                 (1)  providing proof of possession of a high school

1-43     diploma or the equivalent;

1-44                 (2)  demonstrating possession of general skills and

1-45     competence, as determined by commission rule; and

1-46                 (3)  demonstrating, to the satisfaction of the

1-47     commission, a long-term commitment to the early childhood care

1-48     profession.

1-49           (f)  Funding for a person who participates in training

1-50     through a pilot program shall be provided through a work supplement

1-51     program for 12 months.  The commission may provide additional

1-52     funding for the person to participate in training through the pilot

1-53     program for an additional 12 months.

1-54           (g)  The commission may also provide funding for a person who

1-55     participates in training through a pilot program to:

1-56                 (1)  complete the person's Child Development Associate

1-57     national credential or other child-care certification, as

1-58     determined by the commission;

1-59                 (2)  provide ongoing interactive training; and

1-60                 (3)  offer start-up grants and loans to establish the

1-61     person's own child-care business.

1-62           (h)  A facility that provides training through a pilot

1-63     program shall maintain a mentor relationship with each person who

1-64     participates in training through the program at the facility.  A

 2-1     person who participates in training at a facility may be required

 2-2     to participate in additional training programs after the date the

 2-3     person completes the pilot program.

 2-4           (i)  The child of a person who participates in training

 2-5     through a pilot program is entitled to the same discounted rate for

 2-6     child-care services at the facility in which the person is

 2-7     participating in training that the facility offers to the

 2-8     facility's employees.  If the rate charged by the facility is

 2-9     greater than the amount of the child-care subsidy provided for the

2-10     person's child, the difference in the amounts shall be paid by the

2-11     facility to the commission.  Funds received by the commission under

2-12     this subsection may be used by the commission to administer the

2-13     pilot program under this section.

2-14           (j)  The commission shall adopt rules that establish

2-15     eligibility criteria for a facility to participate in a pilot

2-16     program and provide requirements for implementation of the pilot

2-17     program.

2-18           (k)  The commission shall report not later than January 31,

2-19     1999, to the presiding officer of each house of the 76th

2-20     Legislature, Regular Session, regarding the results of the pilot

2-21     programs created under this section.  The report must include

2-22     recommendations to the legislature regarding the development of a

2-23     statewide child-care training program for recipients of public

2-24     assistance.

2-25           (l)  In this section, "work supplement program" means a

2-26     program under which the state reserves all or part of the amounts

2-27     that would be payable as benefits to welfare recipients and uses

2-28     those amounts to provide and subsidize jobs for the recipients.

2-29           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-30           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-31     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-32     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-33     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-34     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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