86R3536 EAS-F
 
  By: Deshotel H.B. No. 680
 
 
 
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 estimated [average] cost incurred by child
  care providers [of child care] in each local workforce development
  area as stated in the report required under 45 C.F.R. Section
  98.45(f)(1);
               (4)  the average price charged by child care providers
  for child care in each local workforce development area as stated in
  the market rate survey conducted under 45 C.F.R. Section 98.45(c);
               (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 places that are reserved for
  participants in the child care subsidy program out of the total
  number of children enrolled with a provider on a full-time basis
  categorized by age of the child for each provider [vacant slots
  available for child care placement] in each local workforce
  development area that is certified as a 2-star, 3-star, or 4-star
  provider in the Texas Rising Star Program or that does not
  participate in the Texas Rising Star Program;
               (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 subsidized
  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 subsidized child care providers in the local workforce
  development area;
               (10)  the total number of children enrolled in
  subsidized child care providers participating in the Texas Rising
  Star Program in each local workforce development area and the
  number of subsidized 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 subsidized 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 subsidized children enrolled in child care
  providers in the local workforce development area and the number of
  subsidized 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 subsidized 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 update the information described by
  Subsections (b)(6)-(11).
         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 by the commission with the Texas
  Education Agency to assign a Public Education Information
  Management System (PEIMS) number to children younger than six years
  of age enrolled in the commission's child care program;
               (2)  coordination with the Texas Education Agency,
  school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools on any
  prekindergarten quality improvement efforts;
               (3)  efforts to increase coordination between
  participating providers in the commission's child care program,
  school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools;
               (4)  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
               (5)  development and implementation of rates and
  payments, as determined by local workforce development boards, to:
                     (A)  allow participating providers to provide
  high quality child care; and
                     (B)  ensure that the commission meets performance
  measures established by the legislature for the average number of
  children served by the commission's child care program per day.
         (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; and
               (3)  include information described by Sections
  302.0042(b)(8)-(11).
         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, subsidized child care
  providers, 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, 2019.