1-1 By: Villarreal (Senate Sponsor - Moncrief) H.B. No. 1307 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 23, 2001; 1-3 April 24, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Health 1-4 and Human Services; May 8, 2001, reported favorably by the 1-5 following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 8, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to the establishment of a child-care resource and referral 1-9 network. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 4, Labor Code, is amended by 1-12 adding Chapter 310 to read as follows: 1-13 CHAPTER 310. CHILD-CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL NETWORK 1-14 Sec. 310.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: 1-15 (1) "Member" means a member of the child-care resource 1-16 and referral network that provides child-care resource and referral 1-17 services in this state. 1-18 (2) "Network" means the child-care resource and 1-19 referral network administered by a nonprofit public or private 1-20 organization that contracts with the commission to provide 1-21 child-care resource and referral services in this state. 1-22 Sec. 310.002. CHILD-CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL NETWORK. (a) 1-23 The commission, through funds allocated to the commission as the 1-24 agency designated to administer the grant under the Child Care and 1-25 Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Section 9858 et 1-26 seq.), as amended, and specifically appropriated to the commission 1-27 for that purpose, shall: 1-28 (1) contract with a child-care resource and referral 1-29 network to provide child-care resource and referral services in 1-30 this state; and 1-31 (2) require the network to be administered in 1-32 compliance with the requirements of the block grant program. 1-33 (b) The commission shall use a system of competitive 1-34 procurement to award a contract to a child-care resource and 1-35 referral network that has proven experience in providing child-care 1-36 resource and referral services. 1-37 (c) To the extent funds from the block grant program are 1-38 available for that purpose, the commission shall award the contract 1-39 under this section in a manner that will allow for the provision of 1-40 child-care resource and referral services throughout this state. 1-41 Sec. 310.003. STATEWIDE CHILD-CARE NEEDS ASSESSMENT. (a) 1-42 The network shall conduct a needs assessment to determine the 1-43 supply of and demand for child-care services in this state and to 1-44 identify discrepancies between that supply and demand. 1-45 (b) Based on the needs assessment, the network shall make 1-46 recommendations to the commission regarding collaborative solutions 1-47 to address the identified child-care supply and demand 1-48 discrepancies. The recommended solutions must involve 1-49 collaboration between: 1-50 (1) local workforce development boards; 1-51 (2) community-based social services agencies; 1-52 (3) employers; 1-53 (4) child-care providers; and 1-54 (5) parents who are consumers of child-care services. 1-55 Sec. 310.004. RESOURCE SERVICES. The network, through its 1-56 members, shall provide and continually update resource information 1-57 regarding: 1-58 (1) child-care and early childhood education services 1-59 in this state; and 1-60 (2) assistance in becoming a child-care provider, 1-61 including information about: 1-62 (A) the general requirements for applying for 1-63 and maintaining a license, listing, or registration under Chapter 1-64 42, Human Resources Code; and 2-1 (B) the availability of financial resources and 2-2 educational, technical, and other training opportunities, including 2-3 management skills training and continuing education programs for 2-4 operators and employees of child-care facilities, regardless of 2-5 whether the network or another person provides those opportunities. 2-6 Sec. 310.005. REFERRAL SERVICES. (a) The network, through 2-7 its members, shall provide referral services to: 2-8 (1) a person who is seeking child-care and early 2-9 childhood education services; and 2-10 (2) an employer seeking child-care assistance for the 2-11 employer or an employee through: 2-12 (A) a consultation regarding the availability of 2-13 child-care and early childhood education services; or 2-14 (B) specialized services for the employer or its 2-15 employees. 2-16 (b) In addition to providing referrals to child-care and 2-17 early childhood education services, the network, through its 2-18 members, shall provide: 2-19 (1) referrals to available support services, 2-20 including: 2-21 (A) parenting education classes; and 2-22 (B) services for parents or children offered by 2-23 health and human services agencies, as defined by Section 531.001, 2-24 Government Code, or otherwise available in the community; and 2-25 (2) information for consumers of child-care and early 2-26 childhood education services, including: 2-27 (A) information regarding early childhood 2-28 development; 2-29 (B) criteria for identifying quality child-care 2-30 and early childhood education services that support the healthy 2-31 development of children; and 2-32 (C) other information that will assist consumers 2-33 in making informed and effective choices regarding child-care and 2-34 early childhood education services. 2-35 Sec. 310.006. ADVERTISEMENT OF SERVICES. (a) The network, 2-36 through its members, shall inform parents, child-care consumers, 2-37 child-care providers, and employers located in the member's service 2-38 area of: 2-39 (1) the resource and referral services available from 2-40 the network; and 2-41 (2) the methods by which a person may contact the 2-42 member to access resource and referral services. 2-43 (b) A member may provide the information under Subsection 2-44 (a) through the media and alternative means, including: 2-45 (1) state and local community, job, and health fairs; 2-46 (2) public service announcements and advertisements; 2-47 (3) career development centers; 2-48 (4) offices of health and human services agencies; 2-49 (5) Texas workforce centers that comprise the Texas 2-50 Workforce Network; and 2-51 (6) direct contacts with employers and child-care 2-52 providers. 2-53 Sec. 310.007. COLLECTION OF CHILD-CARE DATA. (a) The 2-54 network, through its members, shall: 2-55 (1) collect and continuously update statewide data 2-56 regarding the supply of and demand for child-care and early 2-57 childhood education services in this state; 2-58 (2) report the data to the commission each calendar 2-59 quarter; and 2-60 (3) make the information available statewide. 2-61 (b) The data required by this section must include a 2-62 comprehensive compilation of all available child-care and early 2-63 childhood education services in this state and information 2-64 concerning unmet needs of consumers with respect to those services. 2-65 (c) The commission and the Department of Protective and 2-66 Regulatory Services shall provide assistance to the network and 2-67 members of the network in collecting, aggregating, and updating the 2-68 data required by this section. 2-69 Sec. 310.008. RULES. The commission may adopt rules 3-1 necessary to implement this chapter. 3-2 SECTION 2. The Texas Workforce Commission shall award a 3-3 contract to establish the child-care resource and referral network 3-4 required by Chapter 310, Labor Code, as added by this Act, not 3-5 later than January 1, 2002. 3-6 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 3-7 * * * * *