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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the provision of scholarships, bonuses, and wage |
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supplementation to certain child-care workers. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 302.006, Labor Code, is amended to read |
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as follows: |
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Sec. 302.006. PROFESSIONAL CHILD-CARE TRAINING |
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SCHOLARSHIPS, BONUSES, AND WAGE SUPPLEMENTATION. (a) In this |
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section: |
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(1) "Child-care facility" has the meaning assigned by |
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Section 42.002, Human Resources Code. |
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(2) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning |
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assigned by Section 61.003, Education Code. |
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(a-1) The commission shall [may] develop and administer a |
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program under which the commission awards scholarships to eligible |
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child-care workers [in the amount of $1,000 each for professional
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child-care training to eligible recipients]. |
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(b) A recipient may use [a] scholarship funds awarded under |
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this section only to pay expenses associated with obtaining: |
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(1) Child Development Associate (CDA) national |
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credentials administered by the Council for Professional |
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Recognition or a comparable nationally recognized entity that |
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credentials professionals in the early childhood education or child |
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development field; |
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(2) an [Certified Child-Care Professional (CCP)
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credentials; or
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[(3) a level one certificate or] associate's degree in |
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the field [area] of child development or early childhood education |
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awarded by an [from a public or private] institution of higher |
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education; or |
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(3) a bachelor's degree in the field of child |
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development, early childhood education, or family and child studies |
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awarded by an institution of higher education. |
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(c) To be eligible to receive a scholarship [awarded] under |
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this section, a child-care worker [person] must: |
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(1) be employed by [in] a child-care facility that has |
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agreed to sponsor the child-care worker in accordance with |
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Subsection (d): |
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(A) for at least 30 hours each week; and |
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(B) at a pay rate that is less than $15 per hour |
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[, as defined by Section 42.002, Human Resources Code]; |
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(2) intend to obtain a credential[, certificate,] or |
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degree specified in Subsection (b); |
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(3) agree to work for the sponsoring [at least 18
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additional months in a] child-care facility for at least the length |
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of time prescribed by commission rule for purposes of this |
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subdivision; [, as defined by Section 42.002, Human Resources Code,
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that accepts federal Child Care Development Fund subsidies and
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that, at the time the person begins to fulfill the work requirement
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imposed by this subdivision, is located:
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[(A)
within the attendance zone of a public
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school campus considered low-performing under Subchapter E,
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Chapter 39, Education Code; or
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[(B)
in an economically disadvantaged community,
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as determined by the commission; and] |
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(4) agree to pay the percentage of the applicable |
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costs of books, credentialing fees, or tuition and fees associated |
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with obtaining a credential or degree specified in Subsection (b) |
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prescribed by commission rule for purposes of this subdivision; and |
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(5) satisfy any other requirements adopted by the |
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commission. |
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(d) A child-care facility that agrees to sponsor a |
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child-care worker under this section must: |
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(1) provide the child-care worker with: |
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(A) paid time off as prescribed by commission |
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rule; and |
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(B) any bonus or wage supplementation to which |
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the child-care worker is entitled under Subsection (e); and |
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(2) pay the percentage of the applicable costs of |
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books, credentialing fees, or tuition and fees associated with |
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obtaining a credential or degree specified in Subsection (b) |
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prescribed by commission rule for purposes of this subdivision. [A
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person may not receive more than one scholarship awarded under this
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section.] |
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(e) A scholarship recipient who successfully obtains a |
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credential or degree specified in Subsection (b) and satisfies any |
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other program requirement prescribed by this section or a rule |
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adopted under this section is entitled to the [In addition, the
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commission may provide for] payment of a bonus or wage |
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supplementation [to a scholarship recipient who for 18 months after
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the date of receiving the scholarship provides care for children
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younger than six years of age while remaining in the employment of
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the child-care facility that employed the person when the
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scholarship was awarded and that meets the requirements of
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Subsection (c)(3)]. Any bonus or wage supplementation provided |
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under this subsection shall be paid by both the recipient's |
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sponsoring child-care facility [in equal shares by the scholarship
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recipient's employer] and the commission in shares prescribed by |
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commission rule. The commission shall determine the amount of any |
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bonus and the amount and duration of any wage supplementation |
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provided under this subsection. |
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(f) The commission shall fund scholarships and any bonuses |
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or wage supplementation provided under this section through federal |
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Child Care Development funds or other funding sources available to |
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the commission. Total funding may not exceed $1 [$2] million per |
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state biennium. |
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(g) The commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement |
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this section. The rules must include provisions that: |
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(1) address the computation of the length-of-service |
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[18-month service] requirement prescribed under [by] Subsection |
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(c)(3) [(c)]; [and] |
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(2) establish criteria for the award of scholarships |
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under this section under which priority is given to child-care |
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workers employed: |
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(A) in child-care care programs serving children |
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whose care is subsidized through money received under the Child |
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Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Section 9858 |
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et seq.); or |
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(B) by child-care facilities that: |
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(i) are working toward Texas Rising Star |
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certification; or |
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(ii) are Texas Rising Star certified |
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providers working toward a higher certification level; and |
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(3) ensure that the commission has procedures for |
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recovering [may recover] scholarship money from a recipient who |
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fails to comply with that length-of-service [service] requirement |
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or any other requirement imposed by the commission. |
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SECTION 2. The Texas Workforce Commission shall adopt rules |
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for the administration of Section 302.006, Labor Code, as amended |
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by this Act, as soon as practicable following the effective date of |
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this Act, but not later than January 1, 2014. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |