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.