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                                  * * * * *