By Chavez H.B. No. 3164 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to standards for prekindergarten programs and coordination 1-3 of resources among prekindergarten programs and other child-care 1-4 programs. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Section 29.153, Education Code, is amended by 1-7 adding Subsections (h) and (i) to read as follows: 1-8 (h) At a minimum, a school district prekindergarten program 1-9 must comply with the applicable child-care licensing standards 1-10 adopted by the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services 1-11 under Section 42.042, Human Resources Code. The State Board of 1-12 Education by rule shall ensure the school district's compliance 1-13 with the applicable standards. 1-14 (i) Before a school district may initiate a new 1-15 prekindergarten program, the district shall investigate the 1-16 possibility of sharing program sites with existing child-care 1-17 programs licensed by the Department of Protective and Regulatory 1-18 Services and existing federal Head Start programs and shall 1-19 coordinate use of those sites to the greatest extent possible. The 1-20 school district shall also investigate and implement to the 1-21 greatest extent possible coordinated use of licensed child-care and 1-22 Head Start sites with existing prekindergarten programs. The Texas 1-23 Education Agency shall enter into an interagency agreement with the 1-24 Department of Protective and Regulatory Services for the department 2-1 to ensure compliance with the requirements of this subsection. The 2-2 Department of Protective and Regulatory Services may collect a fee 2-3 to offset the cost of providing the inspection service. 2-4 SECTION 2. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 2-5 (b) A prekindergarten program established before the 2-6 effective date of this Act is not required to comply with the 2-7 applicable child-care standards adopted by the Department of 2-8 Protective and Regulatory Services, as required by Subsection (h), 2-9 Section 29.153, Education Code, as added by this Act, until 2-10 September 1, 2004.