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.