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.