| 1 | 1 | | H.B. No. 136 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 5 | | relating to providing notification to parents of eligible children |
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| 6 | 6 | | of the availability of prekindergarten programs. |
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| 7 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 8 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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| 9 | 9 | | amended by adding Section 29.1534 to read as follows: |
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| 10 | 10 | | Sec. 29.1534. NOTIFICATION OF PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS. |
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| 11 | 11 | | (a) In this section, "prekindergarten program" includes |
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| 12 | 12 | | prekindergarten programs provided by a private entity through a |
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| 13 | 13 | | partnership with the school district. |
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| 14 | 14 | | (b) The agency shall develop joint strategies with other |
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| 15 | 15 | | state agencies regarding methods to increase community awareness of |
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| 16 | 16 | | prekindergarten programs through programs that provide information |
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| 17 | 17 | | relating to public assistance programs. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (c) The agency may develop outreach materials for use by |
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| 19 | 19 | | school districts to increase community awareness of |
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| 20 | 20 | | prekindergarten programs. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (d) Each school district shall report annually to the agency |
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| 22 | 22 | | the strategies implemented by the school district to increase |
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| 23 | 23 | | community awareness of prekindergarten programs offered by the |
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| 24 | 24 | | district. The district shall report the information on a form |
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| 25 | 25 | | prescribed by the commissioner. A report required by this |
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| 26 | 26 | | subsection may be combined, at the discretion of the commissioner, |
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| 27 | 27 | | with another report that the district submits to the agency. Not |
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| 28 | 28 | | later than the 90th day after the date the agency receives a report |
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| 29 | 29 | | from a school district as required by this subsection, the agency |
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| 30 | 30 | | shall post the report on the agency's Internet website. This |
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| 31 | 31 | | subsection expires September 1, 2013. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (e) The agency shall provide information to school |
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| 33 | 33 | | districts regarding effective methods to communicate to the parent |
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| 34 | 34 | | of an eligible child the availability of prekindergarten programs, |
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| 35 | 35 | | including information regarding prekindergarten programs through |
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| 36 | 36 | | public, private, and nonprofit institutions that provide |
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| 37 | 37 | | assistance and support to families with children eligible for |
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| 38 | 38 | | prekindergarten programs. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (f) Not later than December 1, 2010, the agency shall |
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| 40 | 40 | | prepare and deliver to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the |
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| 41 | 41 | | house of representatives, and the presiding officer of each |
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| 42 | 42 | | legislative standing committee with primary jurisdiction over |
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| 43 | 43 | | primary and secondary education a report detailing strategies |
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| 44 | 44 | | developed under Subsection (b) to increase community awareness of |
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| 45 | 45 | | prekindergarten programs. This subsection expires January 1, 2011. |
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| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 47 | 47 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 48 | 48 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 49 | 49 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 50 | 50 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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| 51 | 51 | | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 52 | 52 | | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 53 | 53 | | I certify that H.B. No. 136 was passed by the House on May 7, |
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| 54 | 54 | | 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 78, Nays 63, 1 present, not |
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| 55 | 55 | | voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. |
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| 56 | 56 | | No. 136 on May 29, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 93, Nays 50, 2 |
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| 57 | 57 | | present, not voting. |
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| 58 | 58 | | ______________________________ |
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| 59 | 59 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 60 | 60 | | I certify that H.B. No. 136 was passed by the Senate, with |
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| 61 | 61 | | amendments, on May 27, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays |
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| 62 | 62 | | 0. |
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| 63 | 63 | | ______________________________ |
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| 64 | 64 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 65 | 65 | | APPROVED: __________________ |
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| 66 | 66 | | Date |
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| 67 | 67 | | __________________ |
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| 68 | 68 | | Governor |
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