85R6851 MK-F

By: Campbell S.B. No. 940

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the evaluation of and improvements to the quality of the Texas Workforce Commission's subsidized child care program.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 302.0042, Labor Code, is amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:

(b) The commission's evaluation must assess:

(1) the use of current federal child care funds by each local workforce development board;

(2) the ability of each local workforce development board to meet child care performance measures;

(3) the average cost incurred by child care providers in providing [of] child care in each local workforce development area;

(4) the average price charged by child care providers for child care in each local workforce development area;

(5) the poverty rate of each local workforce development area compared to the state's poverty rate;

(6) [(5)] the number of children on waiting lists for child care in each local workforce development area; [and]

(7) [(6)] the number of vacancies for full-time program enrollment [vacant slots] available for child care placement in each local workforce development area;

(8) the total number of child care providers participating in the Texas Rising Star Program in each local workforce development area and the number of 2-star, 3-star, and 4-star rated child care providers in the local workforce development area;

(9) the number of child care providers participating in the Texas Rising Star Program in each local workforce development area as a percentage of the total number of child care providers in the local workforce development area and the number of 2-star, 3-star, and 4-star rated child care providers in the local workforce development area as a percentage of the total number of child care providers in the local workforce development area;

(10) the total number of children enrolled in child care providers participating in the Texas Rising Star Program in each local workforce development area and the number of children enrolled in 2-star, 3-star, and 4-star rated child care providers in the local workforce development area; and

(11) the number of children enrolled in child care providers participating in the Texas Rising Star Program in each local workforce development area as a percentage of the total number of children enrolled in child care providers in the local workforce development area and the number of children enrolled in 2-star, 3-star, and 4-star rated child care providers in the local workforce development area as a percentage of the total number of children enrolled in child care providers in the local workforce development area.

(c) For the purposes of evaluation under this section, the commission shall annually conduct a survey in each local workforce development area to determine:

(1) the average cost incurred by child care providers in providing child care in the area; and

(2) the average price charged by child care providers for child care in the area.

SECTION 2. Section 302.0043, Labor Code, is amended by adding Subsection (c-1) and amending Subsections (e) and (f) to read as follows:

(c-1) The commission shall measure and evaluate the progress of the commission's child care program regarding:

(1) coordination with the Texas Education Agency to enable the submission of relevant data related to children younger than five years of age enrolled in the commission's child care program through the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS);

(2) coordination with the Texas Education Agency, school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools on any prekindergarten quality improvement efforts;

(3) facilitation of child care provider enrollment in the Texas Rising Star Program and progression of providers to the highest rating level in the program; and

(4) development and implementation of rates and payments, as determined by local workforce development boards, to allow participating providers to provide high quality child care.

(e) The commission shall make the information collected by the commission and the commission's findings available to local workforce development boards, school districts, open-enrollment charter schools, and the public.

(f) Not later than January 15 of each odd-numbered year, the commission shall report to the legislature regarding the commission's findings regarding the effectiveness of the commission's child care program. The report must:

(1) include employment outcome information, disaggregated by local workforce development area, regarding parents receiving subsidized care under the program; [and]

(2) identify multiyear trends in the information collected and analyzed by the commission under this section, including trends in the information for at least the five state fiscal years preceding the date of the report;

(3) include information described by Sections 302.0042(b)(8)-(11); and

(4) evaluate the findings of the survey conducted under Section 302.0042(c).

SECTION 3. Section 302.00435, Labor Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 302.00435. SUBSIDIZED CHILD CARE PROGRAM; INPUT POLICY. (a) The commission shall develop a policy for obtaining, through appropriate methods, input from interested parties regarding its subsidized child care program and for using that input in administering that program.

(b) The policy developed under Subsection (a) must include methods for obtaining input from the Texas Education Agency, school districts, open-enrollment charter schools, relevant businesses, and the public, regarding:

(1) improving coordination between the subsidized child care program and prekindergarten programs; and

(2) increasing the quality of and access to the subsidized child care program.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.