BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 2361
86R7635 CAE-D	By: West
	Education
	4/7/2019
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Early education is critical for a child's development. Early brain development has a lasting impact on a child's ability to learn and succeed in school and life. Prekindergarten provides children an opportunity to develop and grow while also learning skills needed to be successful for the rest of their lives. The connections needed for many important, higher-level abilities like motivation, self-regulation, problem solving and communication are formed in these early years.

The federal government recommends a family spend no more than 7 percent of their annual income on child care, but according to the Economic Policy Institute, families in Texas spend an average of 15.5 percent. Many teachers in Texas, who earn an average of $49,780 per year according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, struggle to pay for child care while some stop working in order to take care of their children.

S.B. 2361 would expand eligibility for free prekindergarten to children of educators. This would ensure that these children receive early education while ensuring educators do not have to choose between work and sending their child to prekindergarten.

As proposed, S.B. 2361 amends current law relating to the eligibility of the children of public school educators for free prekindergarten programs in public schools.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Sections 29.153(b) and (f), Education Code, as follows:

(b) Provides that a child is eligible for enrollment in a prekindergarten class under this section if the child is at least three years of age and:

(1)�(5) makes no changes to these subdivisions;

(6)�(7) makes nonsubstantive changes; or

(8) is the child of an educator employed by a school district in this state.

(f) Provides that a child who is eligible for enrollment in a prekindergarten class under Subsection (b)(4), (5), or (8) remains eligible for enrollment after the child begins a prekindergarten class if, as applicable, the child's parent, rather than under Subsection (b)(4) or (5) remains eligible for enrollment if the child's parent:

(1) creates this subdivision from existing text;

(2) creates this subdivision from existing text; or

(3) is no longer employed as an educator by a school district in this state, rather than providing that a child who is eligible for enrollment in a prekindergarten class under Subsection (b)(4) or (5) remains eligible for enrollment if the child's parent leaves the armed forces, or is no longer on active duty after the child begins a prekindergarten class.

SECTION 2. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2019�2020 school year.

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2019.