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.