84R22062 LED-D
By: King of Taylor H.B. No. 3658
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the development and administration of a parent
orientation and education pilot program for recipients of
subsidized child-care services.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 4, Labor Code, is amended by
adding Chapter 316 to read as follows:
CHAPTER 316. PARENT ORIENTATION AND EDUCATION PILOT PROGRAM
Sec. 316.001. PARENT ORIENTATION AND EDUCATION PILOT
PROGRAM. (a) The commission shall develop and implement a pilot
program to offer parent orientation and other parent education
programs to parents receiving subsidized child-care services
through a local workforce development board.
(b) The commission shall select one local workforce
development board located in a rural area and one local workforce
development board located in an urban area to participate in the
pilot program.
(c) Not later than December 1, 2016, a participating local
workforce development board shall competitively procure a
curriculum for a parent orientation program to be offered by the
local workforce development board to parents initially receiving or
waiting to receive subsidized child-care services. Not later than
December 1, 2016, the participating local workforce development
board shall also competitively procure curricula for additional
parent education programs for parents receiving subsidized
child-care services to supplement parent orientation. To the extent
practicable, a local workforce development board must procure
commercially available parent education program curricula.
(d) A participating local workforce development board shall
ensure that the curriculum for each program includes information
for parents relating to:
(1) early brain development;
(2) child growth and development;
(3) the importance of continuity of child care; and
(4) strategies for:
(A) employing positive child guidance;
(B) selecting a quality child-care program; and
(C) supporting a child's educational success.
Sec. 316.002. PARENT PARTICIPATION IN PARENT ORIENTATION.
(a) A participating local workforce development board shall offer
parent orientation to a parent who is eligible to receive
subsidized child-care services through the board. A board may not
require a parent to participate in the orientation.
(b) A participating local workforce development board shall
ensure that a parent who participates in the parent orientation
receives priority for child-care services within the parent's
priority group, as established by the commission, over those
parents within the priority group who do not participate in the
orientation.
(c) Each participating local workforce development board
shall establish a deadline by which a parent who applies for
subsidized child-care services must complete the parent
orientation in order to receive the benefit of participation
described in Subsection (b).
Sec. 316.003. PARENT ORIENTATION REQUIREMENTS. (a) A
participating local workforce development board shall use the
parent orientation program curriculum procured by that board under
Section 316.001 as the content of parent orientation.
(b) A participating local workforce development board shall
offer parent orientation at least three times a month.
(c) A participating local workforce development board
shall:
(1) select, in a manner consistent with contracting
guidelines established under Section 2308.264, Government Code, an
instructor for the parent orientation through a competitive
procurement process; or
(2) select a contractor who is already providing
workforce training or services to act as the instructor for parent
orientation.
(d) A parent orientation session must:
(1) include both group discussion and video
programming; and
(2) be at least 1-1/2 hours but not more than 3 hours
in duration.
(e) A participating local workforce development board shall
provide parent orientation in English and in a second language
appropriate to the demographic makeup of the community served.
(f) A participating local workforce development board may
conduct parent orientation at a physical location where the board
provides services or at a location in the community that is
accessible to participants in the orientation. The board shall
provide the option to participate in parent orientation by video
conference through the Internet.
Sec. 316.004. ADDITIONAL PARENT EDUCATION PROGRAMS. (a)
In addition to parent orientation, a participating local workforce
development board shall offer parent education programs using the
parent education program curricula procured by that board under
Section 316.001 to a parent receiving subsidized child-care
services through the board. A board may not require a parent to
participate in a parent education program.
(b) A participating local workforce development board may
offer incentives to encourage participation in the parent education
programs.
(c) A participating local workforce development board shall
offer the parent education programs in the languages, locations,
and manner described by Sections 316.003(e) and (f).
Sec. 316.005. PARENT EDUCATION PROGRAM IN LIEU OF
TERMINATION. (a) Subject to Subsection (b), a parent receiving
subsidized child-care services through a participating local
workforce development board who becomes ineligible for subsidized
child-care services because of a child's excessive absences may
retain eligibility for child-care services if the parent:
(1) enrolls in a parent education program offered by a
local workforce development board under Section 316.004 not later
than the 30th day after the date the board sends notice of
ineligibility to the parent; and
(2) successfully completes the parent education
program within the time designated by board policy.
(b) A parent may retain eligibility for child-care services
by completing a parent education program as provided by this
section after only the first time the parent becomes ineligible for
a reason under Subsection (a).
(c) A participating local workforce development board shall
adopt policies to administer this section, including a policy that:
(1) specifies the manner in which a parent proves
successful completion of a parent education program under this
section; and
(2) ensures that a parent described under Subsection
(a) will continue to receive child-care services while the parent
is completing the parent education program.
Sec. 316.006. EVALUATION AND REPORT TO LEGISLATURE. (a)
The commission shall develop a process for evaluating the
effectiveness of the parent orientation and education programs and
determine performance measures for the evaluation process not later
than January 1, 2018.
(b) The evaluation process under this section must:
(1) provide for the collection of feedback from
parents who participated in the parent orientation and education
programs; and
(2) determine whether the parent orientation and
education programs should be continued, modified, or expanded for
statewide implementation.
(c) The commission shall issue a report to the legislature
regarding the commission's findings under this section and
recommendations regarding the parent orientation and education
programs.
Sec. 316.007. EXPIRATION. This chapter expires January 15,
2019.
SECTION 2. The Texas Workforce Commission is required to
perform the evaluation and issue the report as required under
Section 316.006, Labor Code, as added by this Act, not later than
January 15, 2019.
SECTION 3. If before implementing any provision of this Act
a state agency determines that authorization from a federal agency
is necessary for implementation of that provision, the agency
affected by the provision shall request the authorization and may
delay implementing that provision until the authorization is
granted.
SECTION 4. 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, 2015.