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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of the child care scholarship fund |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 4, Labor Code, is amended by |
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adding Chapter 321 to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 321. CHILD CARE SCHOLARSHIP FUND |
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Sec. 321.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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(1) "Advisory board" means the program fund advisory |
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board established under Section 321.006. |
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(2) "Agency" means the Texas Workforce Commission. |
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Sec. 321.002. ESTABLISHMENT. The agency shall establish |
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and administer the child care scholarship fund to expand |
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scholarship opportunities through the Child Care Services program |
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administered by the agency and help eligible families in the state |
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access high-quality child care. |
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Sec. 321.003. FUND. (a) The fund is a special fund in the |
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state treasury outside the general revenue fund. |
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(b) The fund consists of: |
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(1) money appropriated by the legislature for deposit |
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to the credit of the program fund for the purposes of this chapter; |
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(2) interest earned on the investment of money in the |
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fund; |
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(3) gifts, grants, and donations received by the |
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commission for the purposes of this chapter; and |
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(4) any other sources of revenue that the legislature |
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may dedicate for deposit to the program fund. |
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(c) Money in the fund may be appropriated only to the |
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commission for purposes authorized by this chapter. |
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Sec. 321.004. USE OF FUND. (a) The Texas Workforce |
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Commission must submit to the Texas Workforce Commissioners and the |
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Texas Comptrollers of Public Accounts a request for approval of a |
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proposed disbursement and how that disbursement will be used to |
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increase subsidized child care rates or the number of Child Care |
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Services scholarships provided to eligible families in this state. |
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Sec. 321.005. ANNUAL REPORT. The commission shall publish |
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and submit to the legislature a report detailing the efficacy of the |
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fund not later than December 15 of each even-numbered year. The |
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report must include: |
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(1) the amount appropriated to the Child Care Services |
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program during the preceding state fiscal year; |
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(2) the usage of the fund, including the total amount |
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of child care scholarship payments paid out of the program fund; |
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(3) legislative or other recommendations for |
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improving the impact of the fund; and |
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(4) any other information the commission considers |
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relevant. |
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SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2026, the Texas |
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Workforce Commission shall adopt any rules necessary to administer |
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the child care scholarship fund established under Chapter 321, |
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Labor Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |