79R7690 UM-D
By: Villarreal 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 early childhood care
and education programs including Head Start, Early Head Start,
prekindergarten, and after-school programs;
(2) recommend options to secure additional funding for
these programs;
(3) 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 eligibility criteria for community
partnerships between school districts, early childhood care and
education programs, and Head Start programs; and
(6) recommend methods to strengthen standards for
school districts that have lower standards than those of early
childhood care and education programs and Head Start programs.
(b) The task force consists of eight members. The
lieutenant governor shall appoint one member of the public to
represent the interests of key stakeholders involved in early
childhood education and three members of the senate. The speaker of
the house of representatives shall appoint one member of the public
to represent the interests of key stakeholders involved in early
childhood education and three members of the house of
representatives.
(c) The lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of
representatives shall each appoint one member as a co-presiding
officer.
(d) The task force shall convene at the call of the
presiding officers.
(e) 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.