Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB189 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R1943 CAE-D
2	2	By: Reynolds H.B. No. 189
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to providing free full-day prekindergarten for certain
8	8	children.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Sections 29.153(a-1), (b), (c), and (f),
11	11	Education Code, are amended to read as follows:
12	12	(a-1) A district shall offer prekindergarten classes to any
13	13	child [if the district identifies 15 or more children] who is [are
14	14	eligible under Subsection (b) and are] at least four years of age.
15	15	A school district may offer prekindergarten classes if the district
16	16	identifies 15 or more [eligible] children who are eligible under
17	17	Subsection (b)(1) [at least three years of age]. A district may not
18	18	charge tuition for a prekindergarten class offered under this
19	19	section.
20	20	(b) A child is eligible for enrollment in a prekindergarten
21	21	class under this section if the child is:
22	22	(1) at least three years of age and:
23	23	(A) [(1)] is unable to speak and comprehend the
24	24	English language;
25	25	(B) [(2)] is educationally disadvantaged;
26	26	(C) [(3)] is a homeless child, as defined by 42
27	27	U.S.C. Section 11434a, regardless of the residence of the child, of
28	28	either parent of the child, or of the child's guardian or other
29	29	person having lawful control of the child;
30	30	(D) [(4)] is the child of an active duty member
31	31	of the armed forces of the United States, including the state
32	32	military forces or a reserve component of the armed forces, who is
33	33	ordered to active duty by proper authority;
34	34	(E) [(5)] is the child of a member of the armed
35	35	forces of the United States, including the state military forces or
36	36	a reserve component of the armed forces, who was injured or killed
37	37	while serving on active duty;
38	38	(F) [(6)] is or ever has been in the
39	39	conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services
40	40	following an adversary hearing held as provided by Section 262.201,
41	41	Family Code; or
42	42	(G) [(7)] is the child of a person eligible for
43	43	the Star of Texas Award as:
44	44	(i) [(A)] a peace officer under Section
45	45	3106.002, Government Code;
46	46	(ii) [(B)] a firefighter under Section
47	47	3106.003, Government Code; or
48	48	(iii) [(C)] an emergency medical first
49	49	responder under Section 3106.004, Government Code; or
50	50	(2) at least four years of age.
51	51	(c) A prekindergarten class under this section shall be
52	52	operated on a full-day [half-day] basis. A district is not required
53	53	to provide transportation for a prekindergarten class, but
54	54	transportation, if provided, is included for funding purposes as
55	55	part of the regular transportation system.
56	56	(f) A child who is eligible for enrollment in a
57	57	prekindergarten class under Subsection (b)(1)(D) or (E) [(b)(4) or
58	58	(5)] remains eligible for enrollment if the child's parent leaves
59	59	the armed forces, or is no longer on active duty, after the child
60	60	begins a prekindergarten class.
61	61	SECTION 2. Section 29.1531(a), Education Code, is amended
62	62	to read as follows:
63	63	(a) A school district may offer on a tuition basis or use
64	64	district funds to provide[:
65	65	[(1) an additional half-day of prekindergarten
66	66	classes to children eligible for classes under Section 29.153; and
67	67	[(2)] half-day and full-day prekindergarten classes
68	68	to children not eligible for classes under Section 29.153.
69	69	SECTION 3. Section 29.1532(c), Education Code, is amended
70	70	to read as follows:
71	71	(c) A school district that offers prekindergarten classes,
72	72	including a high quality prekindergarten program class under
73	73	Subchapter E-1, shall include the following information in the
74	74	district's Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS)
75	75	report:
76	76	(1) demographic information, as determined by the
77	77	commissioner, on students enrolled in district and campus
78	78	prekindergarten classes, including the number of students who are
79	79	eligible for classes under Section 29.153(b)(1) or (f) [29.153];
80	80	(2) the numbers of half-day and full-day
81	81	prekindergarten classes offered by the district and campus;
82	82	(3) the sources of funding for the prekindergarten
83	83	classes;
84	84	(4) the class size and ratio of instructional staff to
85	85	students for each prekindergarten program class offered by the
86	86	district and campus;
87	87	(5) if the district elects to administer an assessment
88	88	instrument to students enrolled in district and campus
89	89	prekindergarten program classes, a description and the results of
90	90	each type of assessment instrument; and
91	91	(6) curricula used in the district's prekindergarten
92	92	program classes.
93	93	SECTION 4. Section 29.166(a), Education Code, is amended to
94	94	read as follows:
95	95	(a) A school district is eligible for full-day [half-day]
96	96	funding under the Foundation School Program for each student who
97	97	satisfies eligibility requirements under Section 29.153(b) and who
98	98	is enrolled in a program class.
99	99	SECTION 5. This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020
100	100	school year.
101	101	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
102	102	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
103	103	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
104	104	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
105	105	Act takes effect September 1, 2019.