By Coleman                                            H.B. No. 2357
         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 child development activity standards for licensed
 1-3     child-care facilities.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 42, Human Resources Code, is
 1-6     amended by adding Section 42.0422 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 42.0422.  CHILD DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY STANDARDS. (a)  In
 1-8     addition to rules and standards adopted under Section 42.042, the
 1-9     department shall adopt rules imposing standards for child
1-10     development activities provided by a licensed child-care facility.
1-11           (b)  The rules must require the operator of a licensed
1-12     child-care facility to:
1-13                 (1)  develop and implement a written plan for providing
1-14     child development activities that are:
1-15                       (A)  appropriate for the age and developmental
1-16     status of the children served; and
1-17                       (B)  designed to:
1-18                             (i)  stimulate the social, emotional,
1-19     intellectual, and physical development of each group of children
1-20     served;
1-21                             (ii)  be nonsexist; and
1-22                             (iii)  be based on the sociocultural
 2-1     background of the children served such that the child development
 2-2     activities maximize the strengths and unique experiences of each
 2-3     child's sociocultural group;
 2-4                 (2)  annually review and update the plan required by
 2-5     Subdivision (1) and ensure that the plan is easily accessible to
 2-6     parents of the children served by the facility;
 2-7                 (3)  provide opportunities for parental involvement in
 2-8     developing and updating the plan required by Subdivision (1);
 2-9                 (4)  provide appropriate activity materials and
2-10     activity tools for use by children served by the facility; and
2-11                 (5)  develop and, with parental consent, administer
2-12     assessment tools designed to result in information for a parent
2-13     regarding the  developmental progress of the parent's child.
2-14           (c)  The department may make models of appropriate child
2-15     development activity plans available to licensed child-care
2-16     facilities.  The department may develop the models through
2-17     collaboration with other agencies and resources as necessary to
2-18     determine the best practices for inclusion in each model.
2-19           (d)  The department shall:
2-20                 (1)  encourage and assist in the development of local
2-21     models to provide and disseminate child development resources for
2-22     use by licensed child-care facilities, including models developed
2-23     by local school districts;
2-24                 (2)  develop collaborations with other agencies and
2-25     organizations to coordinate gaps in child development services that
2-26     impact a child's social, emotional, cognitive, and physical
 3-1     development.
 3-2                 (3)  provide information to operators of licensed
 3-3     child-care facilities regarding sources of models of appropriate
 3-4     child development activities.
 3-5           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.