1-1 By: Greenberg (Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini) H.B. No. 2609 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 13, 1999; 1-3 May 14, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on Human 1-4 Services; May 14, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote: 1-5 Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 14, 1999, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to the provision of scholarships, bonuses, and wage 1-9 supplementation for professional child-care workers. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 302, Labor Code, is amended 1-12 by adding Section 302.006 to read as follows: 1-13 Sec. 302.006. PROFESSIONAL CHILD-CARE TRAINING SCHOLARSHIPS, 1-14 BONUSES, AND WAGE SUPPLEMENTATION. (a) The commission shall 1-15 develop and administer a program under which the commission awards 1-16 scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each for professional 1-17 child-care training to eligible recipients. 1-18 (b) A recipient may use a scholarship awarded under this 1-19 section only to pay expenses associated with obtaining: 1-20 (1) Child Development Associate (CDA) national 1-21 credentials; 1-22 (2) Certified Child-Care Professional (CCP) 1-23 credentials; or 1-24 (3) a level one certificate or associate's degree in 1-25 the area of child development or early childhood education from a 1-26 public or private institution of higher education. 1-27 (c) To be eligible to receive a scholarship awarded under 1-28 this section, a person must: 1-29 (1) be employed in a child-care facility, as defined 1-30 by Section 42.002, Human Resources Code; 1-31 (2) intend to obtain a credential, certificate, or 1-32 degree specified in Subsection (b); 1-33 (3) agree to work in a child-care facility, as defined 1-34 by Section 42.002, Human Resources Code, for at least 18 additional 1-35 months; and 1-36 (4) satisfy any other requirements adopted by the 1-37 commission. 1-38 (d) A person may not receive more than one scholarship 1-39 awarded under this section. 1-40 (e) In addition, the commission may provide for payment of a 1-41 bonus or wage supplementation to a scholarship recipient who for 18 1-42 months after the date of receiving the scholarship provides care 1-43 for children younger than six years of age while remaining in the 1-44 employment of the child-care facility that employed the person when 1-45 the scholarship was awarded. Any bonus or wage supplementation 1-46 provided under this subsection shall be paid in equal shares by the 1-47 scholarship recipient's employer and the commission. The 1-48 commission shall determine the amount of any bonus and the amount 1-49 and duration of any wage supplementation provided under this 1-50 subsection. 1-51 (f) The commission shall fund scholarships and any bonuses 1-52 or wage supplementation provided under this section through federal 1-53 Child Care Development funds or other funding sources available to 1-54 the commission. Total funding may not exceed $2 million per state 1-55 biennium. 1-56 (g) The commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement 1-57 this section. The rules must include provisions that: 1-58 (1) address the computation of the 18-month service 1-59 requirement prescribed by Subsection (c); and 1-60 (2) ensure that the commission may recover scholarship 1-61 money from a recipient who fails to comply with that service 1-62 requirement or any other requirement imposed by the commission. 1-63 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 1-64 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-1 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-2 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-3 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-4 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 2-5 * * * * *