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BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

H.B. 4980

By: Wilson

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

The bill author has informed the committee that the State of Texas urgently needs to address workforce needs and shortages, especially within the child-care industry. Nearly 95,000 children in Texas are stuck on waitlists for state child-care scholarships, with some families at the top of the list from Deep East Texas having waited since May 2024. H.B. 4980 seeks to address these issues by requiring the commissioner of education to establish and administer the Child-Care Professional Pathway program to provide opportunities for students to concurrently earn high school diplomas and child development certificates.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the commissioner of education in SECTION 1 of this bill.

 

ANALYSIS

 

H.B. 4980 amends the Education Code to require the commissioner of education to establish and administer the Child-Care Professional Pathway program to provide opportunities for students to concurrently earn high school diplomas and certificates from public institutions of higher education and approve for participation in the program partnerships between public school districts or open-enrollment charter schools and institutions of higher education to provide courses in a non-duplicative sequence of progressive achievement that lead to the following:

·         a high school diploma; and

·         completion of:

o   a Child Development Associate certificate program with a successful job placement rate in the field of professional child care; or

o   an associate degree in human development, psychology, sociology, applied science in early childhood education, or another discipline relevant to the field of professional child care.

 

H.B. 4980 requires a partnership participating in the program to do the following:

·         enable the district or charter school to provide at least one such course of study through a partnership with an institution of higher education under the program;

·         provide for such a course of study that enables a participating student in grade level 11 or 12 to concurrently:

o   enroll in a certificate or degree program at the partnering institution of higher education under which the student may receive instruction from an instructor employed by the institution and any appropriate work-based learning opportunities from the institution and earn a Child Development Associate credential or another credential, including a certificate and associate degree that may be earned concurrently under a hybrid program approved by commissioner rule; and

o   satisfy high school graduation requirements and receive a high school diploma;

·         require the partnering district or charter school to permit all district or charter school students in grade level 11 or 12 to enroll in such a course of study;

·         be governed by an articulation agreement between the partnering district or charter school and institution of higher education; and

·         meet any other requirements established by commissioner rule.

A course of study provided under the program must be provided at no cost to the student. The bill defines "certificate program" by reference to statutory provisions governing the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

 

H.B. 4980 authorizes the commissioner to approve the substitution of one credit in a subject area required for high school graduation with one credit in a child-care professional education course provided by an institution of higher education under the program that substantially covers state curriculum standards of the course for which it is substituted. The bill prohibits a child-care professional education course authorized as a substitute credit from counting for more than one credit toward the student's high school graduation requirements or as a credit for more than one subject area. The bill establishes that time that a student spends participating in the program is counted as part of the minimum number of instructional hours required for a student to be considered a full-time student in average daily attendance for purposes of the foundation school program.

 

H.B. 4980 establishes that nothing in the bill's provisions may be construed to prevent a student's participation in child-care professional education courses before the student begins participating in the program. The bill requires the commissioner to adopt rules as necessary to administer the program. The bill's provisions apply beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.