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.
1-23           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-24           (b)  A prekindergarten program established before the
 2-1     effective date of this Act is not required to comply with the
 2-2     applicable child-care standards adopted by the Department of
 2-3     Protective and Regulatory Services, as required by Subsection (h),
 2-4     Section 29.153, Education Code, as added by this Act, until
 2-5     September 1, 2004.