AN ACT
 1-1     relating to the review by the Texas Workforce Commission of the
 1-2     allocation of certain funds for child care.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  REVIEW OF CHILD CARE ALLOCATION FORMULAS.
 1-5     (a)  The Texas Workforce Commission, in consultation with local
 1-6     workforce development boards, shall conduct a review of the child
 1-7     care allocation formulas in 40 T.A.C. Section 800.58 to compare the
 1-8     commission's current child care funding system with a system that
 1-9     emphasizes providing funding to areas with the greatest need for
1-10     child care services.
1-11           (b)  In conducting the review required by this Act, an area's
1-12     need for child care services shall be evaluated according to the
1-13     number of children in the area who:
1-14                 (1)  are under the age of 14 and who live in poverty,
1-15     as defined by federal law;
1-16                 (2)  participate in poverty-based programs, including
1-17     Head Start and school lunch programs; and
1-18                 (3)  are members of families eligible for Temporary
1-19     Assistance to Needy Families, food stamps, or Medicaid.
1-20           (c)  After consideration of the criteria established under
1-21     Subsection (b) of this section and other relevant factors, the
1-22     Texas Workforce Commission shall determine:
1-23                 (1)  which local workforce development areas have the
1-24     greatest need for child care services; and
 2-1                 (2)  how child care resources are currently distributed
 2-2     to those areas.
 2-3           (d)  In conducting the review under this section, the Texas
 2-4     Workforce Commission shall propose alternative methods of
 2-5     allocating child care funds that address any allocation inequities
 2-6     identified by the review.  The commission shall identify other
 2-7     programs and formulas under the commission's jurisdiction that
 2-8     allocate money to local workforce development areas and that do not
 2-9     take poverty-based measures into consideration.
2-10           (e)  The Texas Workforce Commission shall report the findings
2-11     and recommendations required by this Act not later than November 1,
2-12     2000, to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of
2-13     representatives, and to both houses of the legislature.  The
2-14     recommendations shall include proposals for any necessary
2-15     legislation to address child care allocation formulas, taking into
2-16     consideration which local workforce development areas have the
2-17     greatest need for child care services.
2-18           SECTION 2.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation
2-19     and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-20     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-21     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-22     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-23     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-24     passage, and it is so enacted.
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1391 passed the Senate on
         May 5, 1999, by the following vote:  Yeas 29, Nays 0.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1391 passed the House on
         May 22, 1999, by the following vote:  Yeas 144, Nays 0, two present
         not voting.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
         Approved:
         _______________________________
                     Date
         _______________________________
                   Governor