By:  Ellis, et al.                            S.B. No. 503

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to the continuation of the school child care services

 1-2     program.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 33.902, Education Code, is amended by

 1-5     amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (d) to read as

 1-6     follows:

 1-7           (c)  The district shall effectively publicize the hearings

 1-8     and hold all the hearings before the start of the school year.  The

 1-9     Work and Family Policies Clearinghouse in the Texas Workforce

1-10     [Employment] Commission, not later than May 1 of each year, shall

1-11     distribute to each school district described by Subsection (b)

1-12     information that describes model prekindergarten and school-age

1-13     child care programs and explains how a school district may obtain

1-14     funds through the federal Dependent Care Development Grant program

1-15     or other grant programs.  A school district shall distribute the

1-16     information received from the clearinghouse to the public at a

1-17     hearing.

1-18           (d)  The Work and Family Policies Clearinghouse may

1-19     distribute money appropriated by the legislature to any school

1-20     district for the purpose of implementing school-age child care

1-21     before and after the school day and during school holidays and

1-22     vacations for a school district's school-age students.  Eligible

1-23     use of funds shall include planning, development, establishment,

 2-1     expansion, or improvement of child care services and reasonable

 2-2     start-up costs.  The clearinghouse may distribute money to pay fees

 2-3     charged for providing services to students who are considered to be

 2-4     at risk of dropping out of school under Section 29.081.  The Texas

 2-5     Workforce Commission shall by rule establish procedures and

 2-6     eligibility requirements for distributing this money to school

 2-7     districts.

 2-8           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 2-9           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-10     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-11     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-12     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-13     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.