By Villarreal                                         H.B. No. 1348
         Line and page numbers may not match official copy.
         Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to workforce development grants for child care.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1. Title 4, Labor Code, is amended by adding Section
 1-5     302.0041 to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 302.0041.  FUNDS FOR CHILD CARE. (a)  The commission
 1-7     shall, by rule, establish one-time-funds for local workforce
 1-8     development boards, to design and implement demonstration projects
 1-9     to address:
1-10                 (1)  expansion of services responding to gaps in rural
1-11     areas, home-based care situations, care during shift-schedules and
1-12     evening and weekend hours, and for wrap around services linked to
1-13     public Pre-Kindergarten and Head Start;
1-14                 (2)  creation or expansion of pilot programs, based on
1-15     demonstration models from other states, that address successful
1-16     strategies for the recruitment and retention of child care workers;
1-17                 (3)  pilot initiatives targeting low-income at-risk
1-18     parents who are receiving subsidized care for extended periods and
1-19     who could benefit from career counseling; job search resources and
1-20     other linkages within the community to promote improved
1-21     opportunities for job or career advancement; and
1-22                 (4)  initiatives that serve as start-up or catalyst for
 2-1     further development of school readiness, pre-reading, and
 2-2     problem-solving skills in young children.
 2-3           (b)  the funding for the grants in this section would include
 2-4     the following:
 2-5                 (1)  grants would be on a one-time-only basis;
 2-6                 (2)  grants funds would be used for expenses leading to
 2-7     direct care services that would be covered in future years through
 2-8     the currently established allocation system for child care services
 2-9     or other local resources, and
2-10                 (3)  the demonstration project could be replicated in
2-11     whole or in part by other local boards to address similar
2-12     situations or gaps.
2-13           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
2-14     2-7 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house,
2-15     as 2-8 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If
2-16     this 2-9 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate
2-17     effect, this 2-10 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.