85R144 YDB-D
By: Farrar H.B. No. 751
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to state agency authority to establish child-care subsidy
programs.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 659, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 659.062 to read as follows:
Sec. 659.062. CHILD-CARE SUBSIDY PROGRAM. (a) A state
agency using money appropriated to the agency by this state may
establish a child-care subsidy program to assist the agency's lower
income employees with their child-care costs. The assistance may be
provided for full-time and part-time child care, before-school and
after-school programs, and daytime summer programs.
(b) Two or more state agencies in a multitenant building may
establish a child-care subsidy program and share the program costs
to provide employees of the agencies with child-care services
through a child-care facility located in the building.
(c) Except as provided by Subsection (d), a state agency may
impose restrictions on the use of appropriated money for its
child-care subsidy program based on employees' needs, the agency's
staffing requirements, the local availability of child care, and
other factors determined by the agency, including eligibility
restrictions based on an employee's:
(1) full-time or part-time employment status;
(2) use of an on-site child-care facility;
(3) use of full-time child care; or
(4) use of child care in limited locations.
(d) A state agency that establishes a child-care subsidy
program under this section:
(1) shall give preference for the payment of subsidies
to agency employees who are veterans and who meet the program
participation requirements under this section and agency rules; and
(2) may not limit the payment of subsidies to only
child-care facilities licensed by this state under Chapter 42,
Human Resources Code.
(e) Subject to any restriction established under Subsection
(c) and any preference provided under Subsection (d)(1), an
employee who qualifies as a lower income employee under a state
agency's child-care subsidy program is eligible to receive a
child-care subsidy for the care of each child under 13 years of age
or, for a child with a disability, under 18 years of age.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.