1-1     By:  Chavez (Senate Sponsor - Truan)                  H.B. No. 3164
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 11, 2001;
 1-3     May 11, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on
 1-4     Education; May 11, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote:
 1-5     Yeas 5, Nays 2; May 11, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to standards for prekindergarten programs and coordination
 1-9     of resources among prekindergarten programs and other child-care
1-10     programs.
1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12           SECTION 1.  Section 29.153, Education Code, is amended by
1-13     adding Subsections (h) and (i) to read as follows:
1-14           (h)  At a minimum, a school district prekindergarten program
1-15     must comply with the applicable child-care licensing standards
1-16     adopted by the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services
1-17     under Section 42.042, Human Resources Code.  The State Board of
1-18     Education by rule shall ensure the school district's compliance
1-19     with the applicable standards.
1-20           (i)  Before a school district may initiate a new
1-21     prekindergarten program, the district shall investigate the
1-22     possibility of sharing program sites with existing child-care
1-23     programs licensed by the Department of Protective and Regulatory
1-24     Services and existing federal Head Start programs and shall
1-25     coordinate use of those sites to the greatest extent possible.  The
1-26     school district shall also investigate and implement to the
1-27     greatest extent possible coordinated use of licensed child-care and
1-28     Head Start sites with existing prekindergarten programs.  The Texas
1-29     Education Agency shall enter into an interagency agreement with the
1-30     Department of Protective and Regulatory Services for the department
1-31     to ensure compliance with the requirements of this subsection.  The
1-32     Department of Protective and Regulatory Services may collect a fee
1-33     to offset the cost of providing the inspection service.
1-34           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-35           (b)  A prekindergarten program established before the
1-36     effective date of this Act is not required to comply with the
1-37     applicable child-care standards adopted by the Department of
1-38     Protective and Regulatory Services, as required by Subsection (h),
1-39     Section 29.153, Education Code, as added by this Act, until
1-40     September 1, 2004.
1-41                                  * * * * *