By: Villarreal H.B. No. 2327
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2327:
By: Delisi C.S.H.B. No. 2327
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the creation of the blue ribbon task force on early
childhood education.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. (a) The blue ribbon task force on early
childhood education is created to:
(1) study the resource needs of high-quality early
childhood care and education programs including Head Start, Early
Head Start, prekindergarten, after-school programs, and programs
funded with federal child-care development funds;
(2) recommend options to secure additional funding for
these programs;
(3) build on the work of the demonstration projects
established in accordance with Section 29.160, Education Code, and
analyze the barriers to and recommend combined criteria for the
integration of early childhood care and education programs and Head
Start programs, including differences in standards required for
teaching staff, child-to-staff ratios, and the quality of
instruction;
(4) establish a plan to implement, in phases, full-day
prekindergarten programs for at-risk children and expand the
eligibility criteria for those programs;
(5) develop a common set of high standards and
eligibility criteria for community partnerships between school
districts, early childhood care and education programs, and Head
Start programs; and
(6) recommend methods to strengthen school readiness
standards for early childhood education programs.
(b) The task force consists of nine members appointed as
follows:
(1) three members of the public appointed by the
governor;
(2) three members of the senate appointed by the
lieutenant governor; and
(3) three members of the house of representatives
appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
(c) The governor shall appoint one public member as the
public chair. The lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of
representatives shall each appoint one member as co-presiding
officers with the public chair.
(d) The task force shall convene at the call of the
presiding officers.
(e) The task force may form working groups consisting of
members of the task force, members of the public involved in early
childhood care, and other members of the legislature.
(f) Not later than September 1, 2006, the task force shall
report the task force's findings and recommendations to the
lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives,
and the members of the 79th Legislature.
SECTION 2. This Act expires September 1, 2007.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2005.