77R9918 KLA-D                           
         By Villarreal                                         H.B. No. 1307
         Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1307:
         By Deshotel                                       C.S.H.B. No. 1307
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the establishment of a child-care resource and referral
 1-3     network.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subtitle B, Title 4, Labor Code, is amended by
 1-6     adding Chapter 310 to read as follows:
 1-7           CHAPTER 310.  CHILD-CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL NETWORK
 1-8           Sec. 310.001.  DEFINITIONS.  In this chapter:
 1-9                 (1)  "Member" means a member of the child-care resource
1-10     and referral network that provides child-care resource and referral
1-11     services in this state.
1-12                 (2)  "Network" means the child-care resource and
1-13     referral network administered by a nonprofit public or private
1-14     organization that contracts with the commission to provide
1-15     child-care resource and referral services in this state.
1-16           Sec. 310.002.  CHILD-CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL NETWORK.  (a)
1-17     The commission, through funds allocated to the commission as the
1-18     agency designated to administer the grant under the Child Care and
1-19     Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Section 9858 et
1-20     seq.), as amended, and specifically appropriated to the commission
1-21     for that purpose, shall:
1-22                 (1)  contract with a child-care resource and referral
1-23     network to provide child-care resource and referral services in
1-24     this state; and
 2-1                 (2)  require the network to be administered in
 2-2     compliance with the requirements of the block grant program.
 2-3           (b)  The commission shall use a system of competitive
 2-4     procurement to award a contract to a child-care resource and
 2-5     referral network that has proven experience in providing child-care
 2-6     resource and referral services.
 2-7           (c)  To the extent funds from the block grant program are
 2-8     available for that purpose, the commission shall award the contract
 2-9     under this section in a manner that will allow for the provision of
2-10     child-care resource and referral services throughout this state.
2-11           Sec. 310.003.  STATEWIDE CHILD-CARE NEEDS ASSESSMENT. (a)
2-12     The network shall conduct a needs assessment to determine the
2-13     supply of and demand for child-care services in this state and to
2-14     identify discrepancies between that supply and demand.
2-15           (b)  Based on the needs assessment, the network shall make
2-16     recommendations to the commission regarding collaborative solutions
2-17     to address the identified child-care supply and demand
2-18     discrepancies.  The recommended solutions must involve
2-19     collaboration between:
2-20                 (1)  local workforce development boards;
2-21                 (2)  community-based social services agencies;
2-22                 (3)  employers;
2-23                 (4)  child-care providers; and
2-24                 (5)  parents who are consumers of child-care services.
2-25           Sec. 310.004.  RESOURCE SERVICES.  The network, through its
2-26     members, shall provide and continually update resource information
2-27     regarding:
 3-1                 (1)  child-care and early childhood education services
 3-2     in this state; and
 3-3                 (2)  assistance in becoming a child-care provider,
 3-4     including information about:
 3-5                       (A)  the general requirements for applying for
 3-6     and maintaining a license, listing, or registration under Chapter
 3-7     42, Human Resources Code; and
 3-8                       (B)  the availability of financial resources and
 3-9     educational, technical, and other training opportunities, including
3-10     management skills training and continuing education programs for
3-11     operators and employees of child-care facilities, regardless of
3-12     whether the network or another person provides those opportunities.
3-13           Sec. 310.005.  REFERRAL SERVICES.  (a)  The network, through
3-14     its members, shall provide referral services to:
3-15                 (1)  a person who is seeking child-care and early
3-16     childhood education services; and
3-17                 (2)  an employer seeking child-care assistance for the
3-18     employer or an employee through:
3-19                       (A)  a consultation regarding the availability of
3-20     child-care and early childhood education services; or
3-21                       (B)  specialized services for the employer or its
3-22     employees.
3-23           (b)  In addition to providing referrals to child-care and
3-24     early childhood education services, the network, through its
3-25     members, shall provide:
3-26                 (1)  referrals to available support services,
3-27     including:
 4-1                       (A)  parenting education classes; and
 4-2                       (B)  services for parents or children offered by
 4-3     health and human services agencies, as defined by Section 531.001,
 4-4     Government Code, or otherwise available in the community; and
 4-5                 (2)  information for consumers of child-care and early
 4-6     childhood education services, including:
 4-7                       (A)  information regarding early childhood
 4-8     development;
 4-9                       (B)  criteria for identifying quality child-care
4-10     and early childhood education services that support the healthy
4-11     development of children; and
4-12                       (C)  other information that will assist consumers
4-13     in making informed and effective choices regarding child-care and
4-14     early childhood education services.
4-15           Sec. 310.006.  ADVERTISEMENT OF SERVICES.  (a)  The network,
4-16     through its members, shall inform parents, child-care consumers,
4-17     child-care providers, and employers located in the member's service
4-18     area of:
4-19                 (1)  the resource and referral services available from
4-20     the network; and
4-21                 (2)  the methods by which a person may contact the
4-22     member to access resource and referral services.
4-23           (b)  A member may provide the information under Subsection
4-24     (a) through the media and alternative means, including:
4-25                 (1)  state and local community, job, and health fairs;
4-26                 (2)  public service announcements and advertisements;
4-27                 (3)  career development centers;
 5-1                 (4)  offices of health and human services agencies;
 5-2                 (5)  Texas workforce centers that comprise the Texas
 5-3     Workforce Network; and
 5-4                 (6)  direct contacts with employers and child-care
 5-5     providers.
 5-6           Sec. 310.007.  COLLECTION OF CHILD-CARE DATA. (a)  The
 5-7     network, through its members, shall:
 5-8                 (1)  collect and continuously update statewide data
 5-9     regarding the supply of and demand for child-care and early
5-10     childhood education services in this state;
5-11                 (2)  report the data to the commission each calendar
5-12     quarter; and
5-13                 (3)  make the information available statewide.
5-14           (b)  The data required by this section must include a
5-15     comprehensive compilation of all available child-care and early
5-16     childhood education services in this state and information
5-17     concerning unmet needs of consumers with respect to those services.
5-18           (c)  The commission and the Department of Protective and
5-19     Regulatory Services shall provide assistance to the network and
5-20     members of the network in collecting, aggregating, and updating the
5-21     data required by this section.
5-22           Sec. 310.008.  RULES.  The commission may adopt rules
5-23     necessary to implement this chapter.
5-24           SECTION 2.  The Texas Workforce Commission shall award a
5-25     contract to establish the child-care resource and referral network
5-26     required by Chapter 310, Labor Code, as added by this Act, not
5-27     later than January 1, 2002.
 6-1           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.