SRC-MSY, TJG S.B. 76 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 76
78R542 CLG-DBy: Zaffirini
Education
3/27/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Current Texas law may make it difficult for some parents to determine
whether their children are eligible for certain subsidized child care and
early childhood development programs due to the structure of such
programs.  As proposed, S.B. 76 requires certain state agencies to
coordinate with early childhood development program providers regarding
prekindergarten, Head Start, and after school child care programs, and to
streamline eligibility and registration procedures for such programs.  In
addition, this bill requires the Texas Education Agency to develop a plan
to establish prekindergarten programs within the child care industry. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to
a state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 72, Human Resources Code, as follows:

CHAPTER 72.  New heading: HEAD START, PREKINDERGARTEN, AND OTHER SIMILAR
PROGRAMS 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 72.003, Human Resources Code, as follows:

Sec. 72.003.  COORDINATION OF SERVICES.  (a) Requires each Head Start and
Early Head Start program provider, prekindergarten program provider, and
provider of an afterschool child-care program provided at a school to
coordinate with the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), Texas Educational
Agency (TEA), and local workforce development boards regarding subsidized
child-care services.  

(b) Includes streamlining the eligibility determination or registration
process for subsidized child-care services and a Head Start or Early Head
Start, prekindergarten, or after-school child-care program in the list of
coordinated activities required by this section.  Makes nonsubstantive
changes. 

(c) Includes prekindergarten and after-school child-care programs among
permissible child-care services.  Makes nonsubstantive changes.  Makes
conforming changes. 

SECTION 3.   (a) Requires TEA, not later than January 1, 2004, to develop
a plan to establish prekindergarten programs within the subsidized
child-care service industry.  Requires TEA to seek input from certain
people and entities. 

(b) Requires the plan to provide programs to be established under this
plan be funded using money used for prekindergarten programs under Chapter
29E, Education Code, and federal child-care development funds to the
extent permitted by federal law. 

(c) Requires the TEA, not later than January 1, 2005, to prepare and
deliver the  plan to certain individuals. 

SECTION 4.  Effective date: September 1, 2003.