BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 462

By: Kolkhorst

Trade, Workforce & Economic Development

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The bill sponsor has informed the committee that although child-care workers are the backbone of our communities, nurturing and educating our youngest Texans, many of these dedicated professionals face a significant challenge in securing affordable child-care for their own children. Further, this irony not only places financial and emotional strain on child-care workers but also contributes to high turnover rates within the industry, exacerbating the state's child-care crisis. S.B. 462 seeks to address this issue and ensure a stable and effective child-care workforce by providing for the children of eligible child-care workers to receive priority positions on the waiting list for certain child-care services.

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 this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 462 amends the Labor Code to require the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to require that any waiting list for child-care services must establish a priority position for the delivery of those services to children of child-care workers who are eligible for the services. The bill subjects a child-care worker whose child receives a priority position on a waitlist in that manner to redetermination of the individual's eligibility for services in accordance with TWC rule each year. The bill defines "child-care worker" for these purposes as an individual employed by and working in a child-care facility licensed under Human Resources Code provisions relating to the regulation of certain facilities, homes, and agencies that provide child-care services, for a minimum of 25 hours per week. The term does not include the owner or director of a child-care facility unless the owner's or director's child is served in a program other than a program directly supervised by the owner or director.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.