1-1     By:  Ellis, Zaffirini, West                           S.B. No. 1112

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 11, 1997; March 13, 1997, read

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

 1-4     April 1, 1997, reported adversely, with favorable Committee

 1-5     Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0; April 1, 1997,

 1-6     sent to printer.)

 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1112                  By:  Nelson

 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-9                                   AN ACT

1-10     relating to development of a statewide guide on child care.

1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-12           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 403, Government Code, is

1-13     amended by adding Section 403.026 to read as follows:

1-14           Sec. 403.026.  CHILD-CARE GUIDE; INTERAGENCY WORK GROUP.

1-15     (a)  The comptroller shall develop and periodically update a

1-16     statewide guide for child care designed to assist child-care

1-17     consumers in making informed choices regarding available child-care

1-18     services and to provide useful information regarding the child-care

1-19     industry to child-care service providers.  The guide must:

1-20                 (1)  contain a directory of accredited service

1-21     providers of child care;

1-22                 (2)  contain comprehensive and current information on:

1-23                       (A)  service providers, including staff-child

1-24     ratios, group sizes, level of training of staff and management,

1-25     hours of availability, price information, and other relevant

1-26     information;

1-27                       (B)  early childhood development and factors to

1-28     consider in making informed child-care choices;

1-29                       (C)  child care for children with disabilities;

1-30                       (D)  training opportunities in the child-care

1-31     profession;

1-32                       (E)  best practices in the child-care industry;

1-33                       (F)  child-care financing options;

1-34                       (G)  technical assistance for child-care service

1-35     providers; and

1-36                       (H)  other relevant topics as determined by the

1-37     comptroller and the interagency work group created under Subsection

1-38     (b); and

1-39                 (3)  enable a child-care consumer to identify and

1-40     assess each option available for meeting a child-care consumer's

1-41     individual needs.

1-42           (b)  An interagency work group is created to assist the

1-43     comptroller in developing and updating the guide.  The work group

1-44     is composed of representatives of:

1-45                 (1)  the comptroller's office, appointed by the

1-46     comptroller;

1-47                 (2)  the Texas Workforce Commission, appointed by the

1-48     executive director of that agency;

1-49                 (3)  the Texas Department of Human Services, appointed

1-50     by the commissioner of human services;

1-51                 (4)  the Department of Protective and Regulatory

1-52     Services, appointed by the executive director of that agency;

1-53                 (5)  businesses and business organizations, appointed

1-54     by the comptroller;

1-55                 (6)  resource and referral agencies, appointed by the

1-56     comptroller;

1-57                 (7)  nonprofit organizations, appointed by the

1-58     comptroller; and

1-59                 (8)  child-care consumers, appointed by the

1-60     comptroller.

1-61           (c)  A member of the work group serves at the will of the

1-62     appointing agency.

1-63           (d)  The comptroller shall appoint a member of the work group

1-64     to serve as presiding officer, and members of the work group shall

 2-1     elect any other necessary officers.

 2-2           (e)  The work group shall meet at the call of the presiding

 2-3     officer.

 2-4           (f)  The appointing entity is responsible for the expenses of

 2-5     a member's service on the work group.  A member of the work group

 2-6     receives no additional compensation for serving on the work group.

 2-7           (g)  The work group is not subject to Article 6252-33,

 2-8     Revised Statutes.

 2-9           (h)  The entities listed in Subsection (b) shall take all

2-10     action necessary to assist the comptroller in developing and

2-11     updating the guide, including providing staff with expertise in

2-12     information and referral services and other necessary resources,

2-13     but may not diminish services required to be provided by other law.

2-14           (i)  The comptroller shall make the guide available to the

2-15     public in electronic format and through the Internet.

2-16           SECTION 2.  Not later than January 1, 1998, the comptroller

2-17     of public accounts shall complete development of the child-care

2-18     guide required by Section 403.026, Government Code, as added by

2-19     this Act, and make the guide available in the manner required by

2-20     that section.

2-21           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-22     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-23     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-24     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-25     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-26     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-27     passage, and it is so enacted.

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