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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to authorizing the establishment of community child-care |
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collaboratives and establishing a grant program for those |
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collaboratives administered by the Texas Workforce Commission. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subtitle G, Title 10, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Chapter 2308B to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 2308B. COMMUNITY CHILD-CARE COLLABORATIVE GRANT PROGRAM |
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Sec. 2308B.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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(1) "Commission" means the Texas Workforce |
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Commission. |
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(2) "Community child-care collaborative" means a |
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group of public, private, and nonprofit organizations working to |
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expand child-care capacity in this state. |
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(3) "Priority area" means an area: |
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(A) where the number of children younger than six |
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years of age who have working parents is at least three times |
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greater than the capacity of licensed child-care providers in the |
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area; or |
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(B) determined by the commission to be |
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underserved with respect to child-care providers. |
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Sec. 2308B.002. COMMUNITY CHILD-CARE COLLABORATIVE |
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GRANTS. (a) To the extent funds are appropriated to the |
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commission for that purpose, the commission shall develop a grant |
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program for eligible community child-care collaboratives that may |
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include a combination of local governmental entities, nonprofit |
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community organizations, economic development agencies, local |
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employers, licensed child-care providers, and faith-based |
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community organizations to establish or expand quality child-care |
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capacity in priority areas through partnerships between local |
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stakeholders and qualified providers. |
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(b) Each grant shall fund community child-care |
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collaboratives that are designed to: |
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(1) bring together public and private sector partners |
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to address child-care needs in this state; |
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(2) increase the number of licensed, high-quality |
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child-care providers available to serve communities in priority |
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areas; |
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(3) oversee ongoing child-care operations; and |
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(4) produce any other outcomes the commission |
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considers necessary for the success of the grant program. |
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(c) The grant program may not award more than five grants |
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each year. |
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(d) The commission shall develop a competitive application |
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process for the grant program. |
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(e) The commission shall require each applicant for a grant |
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to: |
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(1) provide evidence of substantial coordination and |
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partnership between the lead grant applicant and local |
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municipalities, employers, child-care providers, and other |
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community stakeholders in the formation, operation, and oversight |
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of the community child-care collaborative; |
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(2) clearly demonstrate the community child-care |
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collaborative's plan to provide licensed child-care services |
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through child-care facilities and family homes licensed, |
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registered, or listed under Chapter 42, Human Resources Code; |
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(3) include in the application the applicant's |
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proposed structure for governance and oversight of the community |
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child-care collaborative; and |
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(4) list all possible additional resources from public |
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or private sources that may be used to sustain the community |
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child-care collaborative and the effort to continue providing |
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child-care services after the initial grant period has expired. |
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Sec. 2308B.003. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. The commission shall |
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establish standards for the grant program that require a grant |
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recipient to: |
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(1) increase licensed child-care capacity in a |
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priority area by a minimum of 50 children; |
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(2) apply for and receive approval to operate a |
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licensed child-care facility or facilities that will meet the |
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minimum requirements established by the commission; |
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(3) demonstrate high-quality early childhood |
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education practices by participating in the Texas Rising Star |
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program; |
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(4) serve children supported through child-care |
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subsidies; |
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(5) collaborate with partners to ensure working |
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families can access and afford child care that meets their needs; |
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(6) govern and oversee ongoing child-care operations; |
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and |
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(7) meet other standards the commission considers |
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necessary for the success of the grant program. |
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Sec. 2308B.004. ACCEPTABLE USES OF GRANT MONEY. An entity |
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shall use money received from a grant under this chapter to |
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establish a community child-care collaborative to expand |
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child-care capacity. Acceptable uses for the money include: |
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(1) planning and developing child-care |
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infrastructure, including construction, renovation, land |
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acquisition, permits, furniture, and other supplies; |
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(2) establishing, operating, or maintaining expanded |
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child-care capacity in the community served by the community |
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child-care collaborative, including child-care facilities and |
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family homes licensed, registered, or listed under Chapter 42, |
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Human Resources Code; |
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(3) providing services to ensure child-care |
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facilities supported through the grant program follow and comply |
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with all requirements under Chapter 42, Human Resources Code, that |
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are applicable to the provider; |
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(4) establishing a competitive application process to |
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select child-care providers with proven experience providing child |
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care in this state; |
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(5) providing professional development and business |
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administration for the child-care providers selected by the |
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community child-care collaborative; |
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(6) developing and distributing coordinated |
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marketing, enrollment, and capacity reporting to the community |
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served by the community child-care collaborative; |
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(7) providing scholarships for families to assist with |
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the overall affordability of quality child care; and |
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(8) other allowable uses the commission considers |
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necessary for the success of the grant program. |
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Sec. 2308B.005. OUTCOME MEASURES FOR COMMUNITY CHILD-CARE |
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COLLABORATIVES. Each community child-care collaborative that |
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receives a grant from the commission to establish or expand child |
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care shall: |
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(1) increase child-care capacity in the priority area |
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by adding at least 50 new licensed capacity slots; |
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(2) open a child-care facility licensed under Chapter |
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42, Human Resources Code, and in compliance with all applicable |
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federal, state, and local regulations; and |
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(3) report, in accordance with the grant program |
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requirements developed by the commission, on the impact of the |
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program in the following areas: |
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(A) child development outcomes; |
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(B) parental engagement; |
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(C) engagement with employers within the |
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priority area; and |
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(D) any other outcomes the commission considers |
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necessary for the success of the grant program. |
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Sec. 2308B.006. REVIEW OF OUTCOME MEASURES. Not later than |
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July 15 of each year for which a grant has been awarded, each entity |
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operating a community child-care collaborative shall review the |
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performance of the entity's collaborative outcomes under Section |
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2308B.005 and report to the commission regarding the entity's |
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findings. |
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Sec. 2308B.007. RULES. The commission shall adopt any |
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rules necessary to implement the community child-care |
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collaborative grant program established under this chapter, |
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including rules regarding: |
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(1) grant program eligibility; |
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(2) the required elements of a community child-care |
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collaborative; and |
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(3) permissible and prohibited uses of funds received |
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by an entity from a grant made under this chapter. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |