By:  Zaffirini                                                            S.B. No. 76



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the provision of subsidized child-care services.                  
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  The heading of Chapter 72, Human Resources Code, 
is amended to read as follows:

CHAPTER 72.  HEAD START, PREKINDERGARTEN, AND OTHER SIMILAR
PROGRAMS 
	SECTION 2.  Section 72.003, Human Resources Code, is amended  
to read as follows:
	Sec. 72.003.  COORDINATION OF SERVICES.  (a)  In a manner 
consistent with federal law and regulations, each Head Start and 
Early Head Start program provider, prekindergarten program 
provider, and provider of an after-school child-care program 
provided at a school shall coordinate with the Texas Workforce 
Commission, Texas Education Agency, and local workforce 
development boards regarding subsidized child-care services.
	(b)  The coordination required by this section must include:            
		(1)  streamlining the eligibility determination or 
registration processes for subsidized child-care services and a 
Head Start or Early Head Start, prekindergarten, or after-school 
child-care program; and
		(2)  coordinating to ensure, to the extent practicable, 
that full-day, full-year child-care services are available to meet 
the needs of low-income parents who are working or participating in 
workforce training or workforce education.
	(c)  The coordination required by this section may also 
include:
		(1)  cooperating with the Texas Workforce Commission 
regarding studies conducted by the commission;
		(2)  collecting data necessary to determine a child's 
eligibility for subsidized child-care services or a Head Start or 
Early Head Start, prekindergarten, or after-school child-care
program, when permissible;
		(3)  cooperating to provide for staff training and 
professional development activities;
		(4)  identifying and developing methods for the 
collaborative provision of subsidized child-care services and Head 
Start or Early Head Start, prekindergarten, or after-school 
child-care program services, including:
			(A)  sharing facilities or staff;  and                                       
			(B)  increasing the enrollment capacity of those 
programs;                 
		(5)  identifying child-care facilities located in 
close proximity to Head Start or Early Head Start, prekindergarten, 
or after-school child-care programs; and
		(6)  coordinating transportation between child-care 
facilities identified under Subdivision (5) and a Head Start or 
Early Head Start, prekindergarten, or after-school child-care
program. 
	SECTION 3.  (a)   Not later than January 1, 2004, the Texas 
Education Agency shall develop a plan to establish prekindergarten 
programs within the subsidized child-care service industry.  In 
developing the plan, the agency shall seek input from:
		(1)  parents eligible to receive subsidized child-care 
services;            
		(2)  parents of children eligible for enrollment in a 
prekindergarten program;
		(3)  school districts;                                                        
		(4)  the Texas Workforce Commission;                                          
		(5)  local workforce development boards;                                      
		(6)  the child-care resource and referral network; and                        
		(7)  the Texas Head Start Collaboration Project.                              
	(b)  The plan must provide that programs to be established 
under the plan be funded using money used for prekindergarten 
programs under Subchapter E, Chapter 29, Education Code, and 
federal child-care development funds to the extent permitted by 
federal law.
	(c)  Not later than January 1, 2005, the Texas Education 
Agency shall prepare and deliver the plan to the governor, 
lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and 
clerks of the standing committees of the senate and house of 
representatives with primary jurisdiction over prekindergarten 
programs and state-subsidized child-care services for low-income 
families.
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.