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79R7551 CLG-D
By: Villarreal H.B. No. 2324
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to quality improvement activities for certain subsidized
child-care services.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Chapter 2308, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 2308.3175 to read as follows:
Sec. 2308.3175. QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ACTIVITIES FOR
SUBSIDIZED CHILD-CARE SERVICES. (a) In this section, "subsidized
child-care services" means subsidized child-care services
administered by the commission and a board and funded wholly or
partly by federal child-care development funds.
(b) The commission by rule shall establish a program under
which a board awards grants to child-care providers and
community-based organizations for use in providing quality
improvement activities to improve the quality and availability of
subsidized child-care services in the workforce development area.
(c) The commission by rule shall prescribe eligibility
criteria for receipt of a grant under the program.
(d) In developing the program under this section, the
commission shall adopt a list of quality improvement activities for
which a provider or organization is eligible to receive funding
through the program. The list of activities must include:
(1) comprehensive consumer education encompassing:
(A) parent education programs;
(B) publication of quality indicators to
evaluate child-care services;
(C) data collection regarding child-care and
early childhood education programs; and
(D) parent referral services;
(2) professional development activities for
providers, including:
(A) training, educational materials, or
technical assistance;
(B) scholarship information and assistance; and
(C) strategies to increase salaries or other
forms of compensation;
(3) teacher training programs, mentoring programs, or
other programs or activities that promote early development of
language, literacy, and mathematical skills in young children;
(4) programs or activities that promote inclusive
child care;
(5) activities promoted by the Healthy Child Care
America program and other activities designed to promote the social
and emotional development of young children;
(6) child-care resource and referral services for
parents;
(7) use of infant and toddler specialists to educate
parents and provide training and technical assistance to child–care
providers; and
(8) other activities the commission determines will
increase parental choice and improve the quality and availability
of subsidized child-care services.
(e) The commission shall allocate funds to the boards for
use in administering the program, subject to guidelines established
by the commission. To the extent allowed by federal law, the
commission may allocate federal child-care development funds for
the purposes of the program.
(f) In developing and administering the program, the
commission and each board shall ensure that local providers and
organizations have the option to choose which of the quality
improvement activities described by Subsection (d) the provider or
organization wants to provide under the program.
(g) The commission shall submit to the legislature an annual
report regarding the operation of the program during the preceding
year. At a minimum, the report must include the number and total
amount of grants awarded by each board during the period covered by
the report. A board must provide information to the commission as
necessary to enable the commission to prepare the report required
by this subsection.
SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date
of this Act, the Texas Workforce Commission shall adopt rules
necessary for the implementation of Section 2308.3175, Government
Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.