1-1 By: Van de Putte S.B. No. 1294 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 8, 2001; March 12, 2001, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Business and Commerce; 1-4 April 17, 2001, reported adversely, with favorable Committee 1-5 Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; April 17, 2001, 1-6 sent to printer.) 1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1294 By: Van de Putte 1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-9 AN ACT 1-10 relating to the establishment of a pilot program by the Texas 1-11 Workforce Commission to assist teachers in retaining employment in 1-12 the field of child care. 1-13 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-14 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 302, Labor Code, is amended 1-15 by adding Section 302.0055 to read as follows: 1-16 Sec. 302.0055. T.E.A.C.H. PILOT PROGRAM. (a) The 1-17 commission shall establish a pilot program, to be known as the 1-18 Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H.) pilot 1-19 program, to assist teachers in retaining employment in the field of 1-20 child care. In establishing and administering the program, the 1-21 commission may consult with any other early childhood teacher pilot 1-22 program. 1-23 (b) The commission shall operate the pilot program in at 1-24 least three locations throughout the state, one of which must be an 1-25 urban community, one of which must be a rural community, and one of 1-26 which must be a community in the region of the state that borders 1-27 the United Mexican States. 1-28 (c) To be eligible to participate in the pilot program, a 1-29 teacher must be employed in a child-care program that has a 1-30 provider agreement with a local workforce development board to 1-31 serve families that receive subsidized child-care services. 1-32 (d) At each location in which the pilot program is operated, 1-33 the pilot program, at a minimum, shall: 1-34 (1) provide coordination between the commission and 1-35 the appropriate local workforce development board; 1-36 (2) obtain incremental increases in financial and 1-37 other support from public and private sources; 1-38 (3) address the following issues with respect to each 1-39 participating child-care teacher: 1-40 (A) scholarships; 1-41 (B) education; 1-42 (C) compensation; and 1-43 (D) retention; 1-44 (4) obtain a financial commitment from participating 1-45 employers to provide graduated increases in compensation to the 1-46 employers' child-care teachers; and 1-47 (5) participate in the evaluation of the pilot program 1-48 as determined by the commission. 1-49 (e) Not later than December 1 of each year, the commission 1-50 shall submit a report to the governor and the legislature regarding 1-51 the status and results of the T.E.A.C.H. pilot program. 1-52 (f) This section expires September 1, 2005. 1-53 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 1-54 * * * * *