By Villarreal                                         H.B. No. 1312
         77R672 KLA-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to quality child-care services to promote early childhood
 1-3     development.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. (a)  The Department of Protective and Regulatory
 1-6     Services shall conduct a study regarding methods to:
 1-7                 (1)  ensure that child-care providers, including
 1-8     providers at day-care centers, group day-care homes, and family
 1-9     homes, and parents and relatives of young children are informed
1-10     about the relationship between the quality of child care and early
1-11     childhood development;
1-12                 (2)  promote increased funding for high-quality early
1-13     childhood development programs;
1-14                 (3)  develop additional training programs for
1-15     child-care providers using local child-care training resources and
1-16     institutions of higher education, as defined by Section 61.003,
1-17     Education Code;
1-18                 (4)  provide additional compensation for employees of
1-19     child-care facilities and other child-care providers who complete
1-20     the Child Development Associate national credential, Certified
1-21     Child-Care Professional Credential, or other child-care
1-22     certification;
1-23                 (5)  provide incentives for a child-care facility to
1-24     meet the standards of quality child care set by the National
 2-1     Association for the Education of Young Children or the National
 2-2     Association of Family Care Centers; and
 2-3                 (6)  increase the availability of qualified
 2-4     administrators and directors for child-care facilities.
 2-5           (b)  Not later than January 1, 2003, the department shall
 2-6     submit a report to the legislature regarding the results of the
 2-7     study conducted under this section.  The report must include
 2-8     recommendations for improving the quality of child care, including
 2-9     the quality of child-care providers, to promote early childhood
2-10     development.
2-11           SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.