78R396 SGA-D

By:  Villarreal                                                   H.B. No. 454



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to an evaluation of the system of child care subsidy 
programs under the Child Care and Development Block Grant.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 302, Labor Code, is 
amended by adding Section 302.0063 to read as follows:
	Sec. 302.0063.  STUDY AND REPORT ON CHILD CARE SUBSIDY 
PROGRAMS. (a)  The commission shall measure and evaluate the 
effectiveness of the child care subsidy programs in this state that 
are funded partly or wholly by the Child Care and Development Block 
Grant (42 U.S.C. Section 9858 et seq.), as amended, or a successor 
federal program.
	(b)  The commission shall develop a protocol for measuring 
and evaluating the effectiveness of child care subsidy programs.  
The protocol must provide for measuring and evaluating that 
effectiveness based on participant and program outcomes, including 
the program's ability to:
		(1)  evaluate improvements in parent income earning;                   
		(2)  improve the training of child care professionals; 
and           
		(3)  facilitate collaboration with Head Start, the 
Texas Education Agency, the Department of Protective and Regulatory 
Services, and the Health and Human Services Commission.
	(c)  The protocol may also include other appropriate 
criteria determined by the commission.
	(d)  In preparing the protocol and collecting the data, the 
commission may use resources and information available from other 
organizations and agencies, including the child care resource and 
referral network, the Health and Human Services Commission, the 
Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, the Texas 
Education Agency, and Head Start.
	(e)  Every two years, the commission shall prepare a report 
based on the results of the preceding two years' study that 
summarizes the findings and makes recommendations to improve the 
ability of the child care subsidy programs to meet the 
effectiveness measures.  Each report must include comparisons to 
any previous study results.
	(f)  The commission shall submit the report to the governor, 
the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of 
representatives, and appropriate legislative committees during the 
first week of December before each regular session of the 
legislature.
	(g)  This section expires September 1, 2009.                            
	SECTION 2.  If the Child Care and Development Block Grant (42 
U.S.C. Section 9858 et seq.), as amended, expires at the end of 
fiscal year 2002 and a successor federal program does not continue 
to fund child care programs in this state, this Act has no effect.
	SECTION 3.   This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this 
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 
Act takes effect September 1, 2003.