78R537 SGA-D

By:  Villarreal                                                   H.B. No. 455



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a study regarding certain child-care initiatives.                 
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  STUDY AND REPORT ON CHILD-CARE INITIATIVES. (a)  
The Health and Human Services Commission shall study and produce a 
comprehensive report on state and local initiatives and 
collaborative initiatives targeted at enhancing the quality of 
child care, including initiatives funded from public or private 
sources.
	(b)  The commission shall work in conjunction with the Texas 
Workforce Commission and the Department of Protective and 
Regulatory Services in studying the initiatives and producing the 
report.
	(c)  The commission shall coordinate the efforts under this 
section with the activities of the Office of Early Childhood 
Coordination, particularly as those efforts relate to the 
development of the statewide strategic plan required under Section 
531.284, Government Code.
	(d)  The report must:                                                          
		(1)  include a description of each initiative's 
activity, including:        
			(A)  factors relevant to the initiative's 
success; and                     
			(B)  the amount and sources of the initiative's 
funding;                   
		(2)  describe programmatic best practices as models for 
replication statewide; and
		(3)  establish statewide benchmarks for quality child 
care.                 
	(e)  The commission shall submit the report to the governor, 
the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of 
representatives, and the presiding officers of appropriate 
legislative committees not later than September 1, 2004.
	SECTION 2.  EXPIRATION DATE.  This Act expires September 1, 
2005.            
	SECTION 3.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  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.