BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1265

By: Alvarado

Trade, Workforce & Economic Development

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The bill sponsor has informed the committee that numerous studies have shown a direct link between parents' ability to participate in and remain in the workforce and their access to child care. In Texas, employers across industries are reporting difficulty retaining workers due to lack of child care but are unsure what role they can play in addressing this issue or what resources are already available to them. The bill sponsor has also informed the committee that there is no centralized location on the Texas Workforce Commission's (TWC) website that brings together this type of support for employers in a practical, accessible way, which can particularly affect small and mid-sized businesses that often do not have staff who can research options or design effective benefits. S.B. 1265 seeks to equip employers with tools to better support working parents by directing TWC to create and maintain a single, easy-to-find web page that provides comprehensive child care resources for employers.

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. 1265 amends the Labor Code to require the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to maintain in a prominent location on its website a link to a web page consisting of comprehensive and current information to help employers assist employees who are parents with accessing child care, including information on the following:

· child-care assistance;

· best practices for assisting employees who are parents;

· any available state and federal tax credits;

· dependent care savings accounts;

· any available free tools or templates;

· policies and benefits an employer may adopt to assist employees in accessing child care; and

· other resources related to child care that TWC considers relevant.

The bill requires that web page to include an explanation that TWC does not and may not provide legal advice and that an employer is not required to implement any employment policy or benefit included on the web page unless required by other law.

S.B. 1265 requires TWC to post the required information on its website not later than February 1, 2026.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.