Amend CSHB 1 (house committee printing) as follows:

(1)  In Article I of the bill, in the appropriations to the Trusteed Programs within the Office of the Governor (page I-55), reduce appropriations from General Revenue for Border Security proportionally among the strategies for which the appropriations may be spent by $3,750,000 for each state fiscal year of the state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2023.

(2)  In Article III of the bill, in the appropriations to the Texas Education Agency (page III-1), increase general revenue appropriations for Strategy A.2.1, Statewide Educational Programs, by $3,750,000 for each state fiscal year of the state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2023.

(3)  In Article III of the bill, following the appropriations to the Texas Education Agency (page III-3), add the following appropriately numbered rider and renumber subsequent riders accordingly:

____.  Kindergarten Readiness Grant Program. (a)  Out of the amounts appropriated above for Strategy A.2.1, Statewide Educational Programs, the commissioner of education shall allocate $3,750,000 for each state fiscal year of the state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2023, to provide grants in accordance with Section 29.155, Education Code, to school districts to contract with a qualified applicant designated by the commissioner of education to administer an in-home, technology-delivered kindergarten readiness program that supplements prekindergarten instruction.

(b)  The applicant designated by the commissioner of education under Subsection (a) of this rider must provide a program that is designed to:

(1)  increase access to early learning programming education;

(2)  include a parental engagement and involvement component;

(3)  improve student transition into elementary education; and

(4)  include content in reading, math, and science correlated with state prekindergarten guidelines.

(c)  The commissioner of education shall ensure the program described by Subsection (b) of this rider:

(1)  is implemented in a manner that:

(A)  allows the program to be offered statewide at no cost to at least 5,000 four-year-old students selected based on early learning needs, including students who are educationally disadvantaged, students residing in rural or remote areas, and emergent bilingual students;

(B)  attempts to provide equal geographic representation across the state; and

(C)  prioritizes school districts in a manner consistent with Section 29.155(d), Education Code;

(2)  includes evidence-based assessments provided by the Texas Education Agency or an independent qualified provider designed to measure student progress on domains that include early literacy, numeracy, and language; and

(3)  provides access to computers and Internet service for program participants who are educationally disadvantaged and reside in homes without a computer or Internet service.

(d)  In designating an applicant under Subsection (a) of this rider, the commissioner of education shall give preference to an applicant that:

(1)  is a nonprofit organization;

(2)  agrees to provide matching funds in an amount equal to at least 25 percent of the amount allocated under Subsection (a) of this rider; and

(3)  has experience implementing a program in this state similar to the program described by Subsection (b) of this rider.

(e)  Not later than January 1, 2025, the commissioner of education shall submit to the legislature a report evaluating the educational growth of students participating in the program described by Subsection (b) of this rider.

(f)  Any unexpended balances of money allocated as described by Subsection (a) of this rider remaining as of August 31, 2024, are appropriated for the state fiscal year ending August 31, 2025, for the same purpose.

(4)  Adjust totals and methods of financing accordingly.