By: Villarreal, et al. H.B. No. 136
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 136By: Van de Putte By: Van de Putte
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 2009;
May 8, 2009, read first time and referred to Committee on
Education; May 23, 2009, reported adversely, with favorable
Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0;
May 23, 2009, sent to printer.)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to providing notification to parents of eligible children
of the availability of prekindergarten programs.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 29.1534 to read as follows:
Sec. 29.1534. NOTIFICATION OF PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS.
(a) In this section, "prekindergarten program" includes
prekindergarten programs provided by a private entity through a
partnership with the school district.
(b) The agency shall develop joint strategies with other
state agencies regarding methods to increase community awareness of
prekindergarten programs through programs that provide information
relating to public assistance programs.
(c) The agency may develop outreach materials for use by
school districts to increase community awareness of
prekindergarten programs.
(d) Each school district shall report annually to the agency
the strategies implemented by the school district to increase
community awareness of prekindergarten programs offered by the
district. The district shall report the information on a form
prescribed by the commissioner. A report required by this
subsection may be combined, at the discretion of the commissioner,
with another report that the district submits to the agency. Not
later than the 90th day after the date the agency receives a report
from a school district as required by this subsection, the agency
shall post the report on the agency's Internet website. This
subsection expires September 1, 2013.
(e) The agency shall provide information to school
districts regarding effective methods to communicate to the parent
of an eligible child the availability of prekindergarten programs,
including information regarding prekindergarten programs through
public, private, and nonprofit institutions that provide
assistance and support to families with children eligible for
prekindergarten programs.
(f) Not later than December 1, 2010, the agency shall
prepare and deliver to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the
house of representatives, and the presiding officer of each
legislative standing committee with primary jurisdiction over
primary and secondary education a report detailing strategies
developed under Subsection (b) to increase community awareness of
prekindergarten programs. This subsection expires January 1, 2011.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
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