HBA-EDN, SEP C.S.H.B. 1348 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 1348
By: Villarreal, Mike
Economic Development
4/11/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Child-care facilities are often instrumental in providing early education
services to children.  These services are crucial not only in fostering
positive learning environments for children during their developmental
years, but also in enabling the parents of those children to work and
attain self-sufficiency.  In Texas, however, assistance for child-care is
limited.  C.S.H.B. 1348 authorizes the Texas Workforce Commission to make
grants available on a one-time basis for local workforce development boards
to design and implement initiatives to address regional child-care needs.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency or institution. 

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1348 amends the Labor Code to authorize the Texas Workforce
Commission to make grants available on a one-time basis to local workforce
development boards (board) to enable the boards to design and implement
demonstration projects to address certain child-care related issues.  The
bill sets forth requirements for the use of a grant by a board and
conditions that a board must meet to be eligible for a grant.  The bill
authorizes child-care services that may continue to be funded at the
conclusion of the demonstration project to be funded through existing board
resources for child-care services or other local resources. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote the Act takes
effect September 1, 2001. 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 1348 modifies the original by authorizing the Texas Workforce
Commission (TWC) to make grants available on a one-time basis to local
workforce development boards (board) to design and implement demonstration
projects to address certain child-care related issues, rather than
requiring TWC, by rule, to establish one-time funds for the boards for
those purposes.  The substitute sets forth requirements for the use of a
grant by a board and conditions that a board must meet to be eligible for a
grant.