By Cain S.B. No. 1732
77R7041 KKA-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to state-subsidized child care for certain children under
1-3 four years of age.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 2308.315, Government Code, is amended to
1-6 read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 2308.315. REIMBURSEMENT RATES FOR CHILD CARE. (a) In
1-8 this section:
1-9 (1) "Designated vendor" means a child care provider
1-10 who complies with the criteria established by the Texas Workforce
1-11 Commission under the commission's designated vendor program.
1-12 (2) "Family home" has the meaning assigned by Section
1-13 42.002, Human Resources Code.
1-14 (b) Subject to Subsection (c), each [Each] board shall
1-15 establish graduated reimbursement rates for child care based on the
1-16 Texas Workforce Commission's designated vendor program. The
1-17 minimum reimbursement rate for designated vendors must be at least
1-18 five percent greater than the maximum rate established for
1-19 nondesignated vendors for the same category of care. The
1-20 designated vendor rate differential established in this subsection
1-21 [section] shall be funded with federal child care development funds
1-22 dedicated to quality improvement activities.
1-23 (c) The minimum reimbursement rate for a designated vendor
1-24 who is a registered family home and who provides child care for
2-1 children under four years of age must be at least 95 percent of the
2-2 vendor's actual documented cost in providing the child care.
2-3 SECTION 2. Subchapter G, Chapter 2308, Government Code, is
2-4 amended by adding Section 2308.317 to read as follows:
2-5 Sec. 2308.317. PILOT PROGRAMS FOR SYSTEMS OF FAMILY HOMES.
2-6 (a) In this section:
2-7 (1) "Commission" means the Texas Workforce Commission.
2-8 (2) "Family home" has the meaning assigned by Section
2-9 42.002, Human Resources Code.
2-10 (b) The commission shall select one or more vendors to
2-11 operate pilot programs in five different areas of the state under
2-12 which child care is provided by operators of eligible family homes
2-13 to children under four years of age. Each pilot program must
2-14 include at least 25 operators of eligible family homes.
2-15 (c) After selection of the vendors, each board in an
2-16 affected area of the state shall administer and fund the pilot
2-17 program operating within that area, subject to guidelines
2-18 established by the commission. Each of those boards shall allocate
2-19 a portion of the board's federal child care development funds to
2-20 pay the costs of the pilot program operating within that area.
2-21 (d) The commission shall select vendors based on a
2-22 competitive procurement process. A vendor must have at least seven
2-23 years of relevant experience to be eligible to participate in a
2-24 pilot program.
2-25 (e) A vendor selected to participate in a pilot program
2-26 shall:
2-27 (1) recruit eligible operators of family homes to
3-1 participate in the program; and
3-2 (2) provide those eligible operators participating in
3-3 the program with:
3-4 (A) training that is based on fostering
3-5 relationships that promote rich language development and provide
3-6 the foundation for moral character;
3-7 (B) mentoring; and
3-8 (C) other support.
3-9 (f) To be eligible to participate in a pilot program, an
3-10 operator of a family home must:
3-11 (1) be registered under Chapter 42, Human Resources
3-12 Code, and be in compliance with all applicable requirements imposed
3-13 by the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services under that
3-14 chapter;
3-15 (2) have a child-to-staff ratio that complies with the
3-16 criteria of the commission's designated vendor program;
3-17 (3) provide a homelike environment;
3-18 (4) demonstrate an environment that is rich in
3-19 language experiences;
3-20 (5) provide child care to a group of children of which
3-21 at least 75 percent are eligible for state-subsidized child care;
3-22 and
3-23 (6) maintain flexible hours of operation that meet the
3-24 needs of parents with nontraditional working hours.
3-25 (g) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year,
3-26 the commission shall submit to the governor, lieutenant governor,
3-27 and speaker of the house of representatives a report on the pilot
4-1 programs established under this section. The report must include an
4-2 evaluation component prepared by the vendor or vendors of the pilot
4-3 programs that compares the language development and other
4-4 developmental features of children receiving child care through the
4-5 pilot programs to the language development and other developmental
4-6 features of children receiving child care in other settings. The
4-7 evaluation component must address the efficacy of providing child
4-8 care in the manner provided by the pilot programs and provide a
4-9 cost/benefits ratio relating to that manner of child care delivery.
4-10 The report must also include recommendations on continuation or
4-11 expansion of the programs.
4-12 (h) This section expires September 1, 2005.
4-13 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.