BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 572
By: Shapiro et al.
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Despite the fact that thousands of children are transported daily by care providers, there are no transportation safety training requirements in the State of Texas. As a result, tragically, every year, children are injured and die because of unsafe transportation procedures. Minimum standards could include the proper use of safety restraints, vehicle maintenance, proper behavior during transport, loading and unloading procedures, and safe accounting for each child and their well-being.
S.B. 572 amends current law relating to transportation safety training requirements for certain child-care providers.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission in SECTION 2 (Section 42.0421, Human Resources Code) of this bill.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Requires that this Act be known as Jacob's Law.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 42.0421, Human Resources Code, by adding Subsection (e), to require the Department of Family and Protective Services, in addition to other training required by this section, by rule to require an owner, operator, or employee of a day-care center, group day-care home, registered family home, child-care institution, foster group home, or agency foster group home who transports a child under the care of the facility whose chronological or developmental age is younger than nine years of age to complete at least two hours of annual training on transportation safety.
SECTION 3. Requires the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission to adopt the rules required by Section 42.0421(e), Human Resources Code, as added by this Act, not later than March 1, 2010.
SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 2009.