78R2046 KKA-D

By:  Villarreal                                                   H.B. No. 1019


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a system for providing a single point of access to government-funded child care and education programs. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Chapter 2308, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 2308.319 to read as follows: Sec. 2308.319. SINGLE POINT OF ACCESS TO CHILD CARE AND EDUCATION SERVICES. (a) In this section, "child care and education services" means: (1) subsidized child care and education services administered by the commission and boards and funded wholly or partly by federal child care development funds; (2) child care and education services provided by a Head Start or Early Head Start program provider; (3) child care and education services provided by a school district through a prekindergarten or after-school program; and (4) any other government-funded child care and education services, other than education and services provided by a school district as part of the general program of public and secondary education, designed to educate or provide care for children under the age of 12 in middle or low-income families. (b) Each board shall establish a system under which a person may apply for all child care and education services available in the person's community through a single point of access. To the extent practical, each board shall develop and implement the system using: (1) any previously existing administrative structure for delivering board services; and (2) the best practices of appropriate existing models of consolidated social services delivery systems. (c) The system required by this section must permit a person to submit an application for child care and education services: (1) in person at one of multiple locations, if appropriate considering the size of the person's community; or (2) through the mail or the Internet. (d) Each entity providing child care and education services in a community served by a board, including the Texas Education Agency, school districts, Head Start and Early Head Start program providers, municipalities, counties, and other political subdivisions of this state, shall: (1) cooperate with the board in establishing the system required by this section and comply with procedures established by the board; and (2) restructure enrollment procedures for child care and education services provided by the entity as necessary to permit effective operation of the system required by this section. (e) The commission, each board, and each other entity providing child care and education services subject to this section may enter into memorandums of understanding as necessary to provide for the effective administration of the system required by this section. (f) Any requirement imposed under this section on a Head Start or Early Head Start program provider must be imposed in a manner consistent with federal law and regulations relating to the Head Start and Early Head Start programs. SECTION 2. If before implementing any provision of this Act a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the waiver or authorization is granted. SECTION 3. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 2003. (b) Each local workforce development board shall implement the system required by Section 2308.319, Government Code, as added by this Act, not later than January 1, 2004.