By: Van de Putte S.B. No. 1294 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the establishment of a pilot program by the Texas 1-3 Workforce Commission to assist teachers in retaining employment in 1-4 the field of child care. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 302, Labor Code, is amended 1-7 by adding Section 302.0055 to read as follows: 1-8 Sec. 302.0055. T.E.A.C.H. PILOT PROGRAM. (a) The 1-9 commission shall establish a pilot program, to be known as the 1-10 Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H.) pilot 1-11 program, to assist teachers in retaining employment in the field of 1-12 child care. In establishing and administering the program, the 1-13 commission may consult with any other early childhood teacher pilot 1-14 program. 1-15 (b) The commission shall operate the pilot program in at 1-16 least three locations throughout the state, one of which must be an 1-17 urban community, one of which must be a rural community, and one of 1-18 which must be a community in the region of the state that borders 1-19 the United Mexican States. 1-20 (c) To be eligible to participate in the pilot program, a 1-21 teacher must be employed in a child-care program that has a 1-22 provider agreement with a local workforce development board to 1-23 serve families that receive subsidized child-care services. 1-24 (d) At each location in which the pilot program is operated, 1-25 the pilot program, at a minimum, shall: 2-1 (1) provide coordination between the commission and 2-2 the appropriate local workforce development board; 2-3 (2) obtain incremental increases in financial and 2-4 other support from public and private sources; 2-5 (3) address the following issues with respect to each 2-6 participating child-care teacher: 2-7 (A) scholarships; 2-8 (B) education; 2-9 (C) compensation; and 2-10 (D) retention; 2-11 (4) obtain a financial commitment from participating 2-12 employers to provide graduated increases in compensation to the 2-13 employers' child-care teachers; and 2-14 (5) participate in the evaluation of the pilot program 2-15 as determined by the commission. 2-16 (e) Not later than December 1 of each year, the commission 2-17 shall submit a report to the governor and the legislature regarding 2-18 the status and results of the T.E.A.C.H. pilot program. 2-19 (f) This section expires September 1, 2005. 2-20 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.