By:  Van de Putte                                     S.B. No. 1293
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to coordination of services provided by Head Start and
 1-3     Early Head Start program providers.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Chapter 72, Human Resources Code, is amended by
 1-6     adding Section 72.003 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 72.003.  COORDINATION OF SERVICES.  (a)  In a manner
 1-8     consistent with federal law and regulations, each Head Start and
 1-9     Early Head Start program provider shall coordinate with the Texas
1-10     Workforce Commission and local workforce development boards
1-11     regarding subsidized child-care services.
1-12           (b)  The coordination required by this section must include
1-13     coordinating to ensure, to the extent practicable, that full-day,
1-14     full-year child-care services are available to meet the needs of
1-15     low-income parents who are working or participating in workforce
1-16     training or workforce education.  The coordination may also
1-17     include:
1-18                 (1)  cooperating with the Texas Workforce Commission
1-19     regarding studies conducted by the commission;
1-20                 (2)  collecting data necessary to determine a child's
1-21     eligibility for subsidized child-care services or a Head Start or
1-22     Early Head Start program, when permissible;
1-23                 (3)  cooperating to provide for staff training and
1-24     professional development activities;
1-25                 (4)  identifying and developing methods for the
 2-1     collaborative provision of subsidized child-care services and Head
 2-2     Start or Early Head Start program services, including:
 2-3                       (A)  sharing facilities or staff; and
 2-4                       (B)  increasing the enrollment capacity of those
 2-5     programs;
 2-6                 (5)  identifying child-care facilities located in close
 2-7     proximity to Head Start or Early Head Start programs; and
 2-8                 (6)  coordinating transportation between child-care
 2-9     facilities identified under Subdivision (5) and a Head Start or
2-10     Early Head Start program.
2-11           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.