| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to establishing a pilot program to provide school district |
|
|
employees assistance with child-care services. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 22, Education Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 22.013 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 22.013. CHILD-CARE SERVICES ASSISTANCE PILOT PROGRAM. |
|
|
(a) In this section: |
|
|
(1) "Child-care facility" has the meaning assigned by |
|
|
Section 42.002, Human Resources Code. |
|
|
(2) "Pilot program" means the child-care services |
|
|
assistance pilot program established under this section. |
|
|
(b) The agency shall establish the child-care services |
|
|
assistance pilot program to award grants to school districts to |
|
|
provide child-care services for children of district employees. |
|
|
(c) A grant awarded to a school district under the pilot |
|
|
program may be used to: |
|
|
(1) establish a child-care facility on district |
|
|
property; |
|
|
(2) contract with a child-care facility to provide |
|
|
child-care services for children of district employees; or |
|
|
(3) provide district employees with stipends to cover |
|
|
all or part of the costs of child-care services. |
|
|
(d) The agency shall: |
|
|
(1) establish criteria for awarding grants to school |
|
|
districts under the pilot program that include criteria based on: |
|
|
(A) the availability of child-care facilities in |
|
|
a district; |
|
|
(B) the need for child-care services assistance |
|
|
among district employees; and |
|
|
(C) any other factor the agency determines is |
|
|
necessary and relevant; and |
|
|
(2) to the extent practicable, award grants to a |
|
|
representative sample of school districts, including at least: |
|
|
(A) one school district with a student enrollment |
|
|
of 10,000 or more; |
|
|
(B) one school district with a student enrollment |
|
|
of at least 2,500 but less than 10,000; |
|
|
(C) one school district with a student enrollment |
|
|
of more than 1,000 but less than 2,500; and |
|
|
(D) one school district with a student enrollment |
|
|
of 1,000 or less. |
|
|
(e) To receive a grant under the pilot program, a school |
|
|
district must apply to the agency in the form and manner prescribed |
|
|
by the agency. |
|
|
(f) Not later than September 1, 2024, each school district |
|
|
that received a grant under the pilot program shall submit to the |
|
|
agency a report that includes: |
|
|
(1) an itemized list of each item on which the district |
|
|
spent the grant money; and |
|
|
(2) an evaluation of the pilot program by district |
|
|
employees who received child-care services or a stipend under the |
|
|
pilot program. |
|
|
(g) Not later than December 1, 2024, the agency shall submit |
|
|
to the legislature a report on the effectiveness of the pilot |
|
|
program, using data reported to the agency under Subsection (f), |
|
|
and any recommendations for legislative or other action. |
|
|
(h) This section expires September 1, 2025. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |