76R11536 KKA-D By Greenberg, Coleman, Keffer, Naishtat, H.B. No. 2609 Thompson Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2609: By Van de Putte C.S.H.B. No. 2609 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the provision of scholarships, bonuses, and wage 1-3 supplementation for professional child-care workers. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 302, Labor Code, is amended 1-6 by adding Section 302.006 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 302.006. PROFESSIONAL CHILD-CARE TRAINING SCHOLARSHIPS, 1-8 BONUSES, AND WAGE SUPPLEMENTATION. (a) The commission shall 1-9 develop and administer a program under which the commission awards 1-10 scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each for professional 1-11 child-care training to eligible recipients. 1-12 (b) A recipient may use a scholarship awarded under this 1-13 section only to pay expenses associated with obtaining: 1-14 (1) Child Development Associate (CDA) national 1-15 credentials; 1-16 (2) Certified Child-Care Professional (CCP) 1-17 credentials; or 1-18 (3) a level one certificate or associate's degree in 1-19 the area of child development or early childhood education from a 1-20 public or private institution of higher education. 1-21 (c) To be eligible to receive a scholarship awarded under 1-22 this section, a person must: 1-23 (1) be employed in a child-care facility, as defined 1-24 by Section 42.002, Human Resources Code; 2-1 (2) intend to obtain a credential, certificate, or 2-2 degree specified in Subsection (b); 2-3 (3) agree to work in a child-care facility, as defined 2-4 by Section 42.002, Human Resources Code, for at least 18 additional 2-5 months; and 2-6 (4) satisfy any other requirements adopted by the 2-7 commission. 2-8 (d) A person may not receive more than one scholarship 2-9 awarded under this section. 2-10 (e) In addition, the commission may provide for payment of a 2-11 bonus or wage supplementation to a scholarship recipient who for 18 2-12 months after the date of receiving the scholarship provides care 2-13 for children younger than six years of age while remaining in the 2-14 employment of the child-care facility that employed the person when 2-15 the scholarship was awarded. Any bonus or wage supplementation 2-16 provided under this subsection shall be paid in equal shares by the 2-17 scholarship recipient's employer and the commission. The 2-18 commission shall determine the amount of any bonus and the amount 2-19 and duration of any wage supplementation provided under this 2-20 subsection. 2-21 (f) The commission shall fund scholarships and any bonuses 2-22 or wage supplementation provided under this section through federal 2-23 Child Care Development funds or other funding sources available to 2-24 the commission. Total funding may not exceed $2 million per state 2-25 biennium. 2-26 (g) The commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement 2-27 this section. The rules must include provisions that: 3-1 (1) address the computation of the 18-month service 3-2 requirement prescribed by Subsection (c); and 3-3 (2) ensure that the commission may recover scholarship 3-4 money from a recipient who fails to comply with that service 3-5 requirement or any other requirement imposed by the commission. 3-6 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 3-7 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 3-8 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-9 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-10 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-11 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.