By Martinez Fischer H.B. No. 2074 77R5033 JJT-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to a study of means to increase the supply of child care 1-3 providers in this state. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. (a) The Texas Workforce Commission shall conduct 1-6 a study of means by which this state may act to increase the supply 1-7 of child care providers in this state. In conducting the study, 1-8 the commission shall give special consideration to the needs for 1-9 child care services of parents involved with welfare-to-work 1-10 programs or similar services of the commission and other state 1-11 agencies. The commission shall include in its study an analysis of 1-12 proposed or experimental programs the commission considers to have 1-13 merit and the efforts of other states in this regard, including: 1-14 (1) mechanisms such as: 1-15 (A) the Connecticut Child Care Facilities 1-16 program under the laws of that state, including Public Acts 97-259 1-17 and 98-167, and other similar programs of that and other states 1-18 that use pooled tax-exempt bond debt for financing grant or loan 1-19 programs; 1-20 (B) revolving loan programs; 1-21 (C) grant programs; and 1-22 (D) contracts with the state for services; and 1-23 (2) any other mechanism. 1-24 (b) The commission shall report its findings from the study 2-1 to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the 2-2 house of representatives not later than September 1, 2002. The 2-3 report shall include: 2-4 (1) a summary of the different mechanisms used in 2-5 other states to increase the supply of child care providers; 2-6 (2) a summary of proposed or experimental programs 2-7 designed to increase the supply of child care providers; 2-8 (3) an analysis of the effects an increased supply of 2-9 child care providers is likely to have on welfare-to-work programs 2-10 and in the provision of similar services of the commission and 2-11 other state agencies, including cost savings that may be realized 2-12 in those programs and by those service providers; and 2-13 (4) specific recommendations of means for this state 2-14 to increase the supply of child care providers available in this 2-15 state, including recommended: 2-16 (A) changes in law necessary to implement the 2-17 recommendations; 2-18 (B) funding levels, sources, and mechanisms 2-19 necessary to implement the recommendations; and 2-20 (C) state agencies or state-created corporations 2-21 to implement the recommendations. 2-22 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 2-23 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 2-24 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this 2-25 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 2-26 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.