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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation of a joint interim committee to study and |
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make recommendations regarding early childhood education. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. INTERIM COMMITTEE; STUDY; REPORT. (a) A joint |
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interim committee is created to study and review early childhood |
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education. |
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(b) The committee shall: |
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(1) examine the budgets, administrative tasks, staff, |
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programs, data collection methods, and evaluations of existing |
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state agencies that perform or provide services for children from |
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birth through five years of age; |
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(2) identify the areas between state agencies that |
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perform or provide services for children from birth through five |
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years of age in which either organizational silos or collaboration |
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exist; |
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(3) research best practices and models from other |
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states that, in order to promote early childhood education: |
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(A) consolidated agency divisions; |
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(B) created an independent office of early |
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learning; or |
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(C) placed responsibilities for early childhood |
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education with the state's agency with jurisdiction over employment |
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and workforce functions; |
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(4) examine the impact on public-private partnerships |
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of, in order to promote early childhood education: |
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(A) consolidating state agency divisions; |
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(B) establishing an independent office of early |
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learning; or |
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(C) placing responsibilities for early childhood |
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education with the Texas Workforce Commission; and |
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(5) develop recommendations for best courses of action |
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to increase the collaboration between agencies that perform or |
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provide services for children from birth through five years of age |
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in order to promote early childhood education. |
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(c) The committee is composed of: |
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(1) five members of the senate standing committee with |
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primary jurisdiction over primary and secondary education |
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appointed by the lieutenant governor; and |
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(2) five members of the house standing committee with |
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primary jurisdiction over primary and secondary education |
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appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives. |
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(d) The lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of |
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representatives shall: |
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(1) jointly designate a committee chair; or |
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(2) if the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the |
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house of representatives do not agree to jointly designate a |
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committee chair, designate co-chairs from among the lieutenant |
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governor's and the speaker's respective appointments. |
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(e) The committee shall convene at the call of the chair or, |
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if applicable, at the call of one of the co-chairs. |
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(f) The committee has all other powers and duties provided |
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to a special or select committee by the rules of the senate and |
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house of representatives, by Subchapter B, Chapter 301, Government |
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Code, and by policies of the senate and house committees on |
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administration. |
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(g) Not later than December 1, 2016, the committee shall |
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report the committee's findings and recommendations to the governor |
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and the members of the legislature. The committee shall include in |
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its recommendations specific statutory and rule changes that appear |
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necessary from the results of the committee's study. |
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(h) Not later than the 60th day after the effective date of |
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this Act, the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of |
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representatives shall appoint the members of the committee created |
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under this section. |
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SECTION 2. ABOLITION OF COMMITTEE. The committee is |
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abolished and this Act expires March 1, 2017. |
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SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September |
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1, 2015. |