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.