| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to creating an Internet website of certain day-care |
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| 8 | 8 | | providers and parenting resources. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. The heading to Section 42.025, Human Resources |
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| 11 | 11 | | Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 42.025. SEARCHABLE DATABASE OF PREVIOUSLY DISCIPLINED |
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| 13 | 13 | | FAMILY HOMES. |
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| 14 | 14 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 42, Human Resources Code, |
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| 15 | 15 | | is amended by adding Section 42.026 to read as follows: |
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| 16 | 16 | | Sec. 42.026. INTERNET WEBSITE LISTING DAY-CARE PROVIDERS. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (a) The commission shall maintain a single, statewide Internet |
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| 18 | 18 | | website of day-care providers, including day-care centers, group |
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| 19 | 19 | | day-care homes, listed and registered family homes, and |
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| 20 | 20 | | prekindergarten programs provided by public school districts or |
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| 21 | 21 | | charter schools under Chapter 29, Education Code. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (b) The Internet website must: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (1) be user-friendly, easy to navigate, and designed to |
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| 24 | 24 | | assist parents in locating and selecting day-care providers; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) be searchable by the information provided under |
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| 26 | 26 | | Subdivision (5)(D); |
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| 27 | 27 | | (3) provide resources for parents regarding early |
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| 28 | 28 | | childhood education and development, including information or |
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| 29 | 29 | | materials developed under Section 2308.317(a)(5), Government Code; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (4) be easily accessible by: |
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| 31 | 31 | | (A) persons who speak a language other than |
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| 32 | 32 | | English; and |
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| 33 | 33 | | (B) persons and families of persons with a |
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| 34 | 34 | | disability; and |
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| 35 | 35 | | (5) include: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (A) information to assist families in |
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| 37 | 37 | | understanding the importance of licensed day-care facilities; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (B) an annual report compiled by the commission |
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| 39 | 39 | | on the number of deaths, serious injuries, and incidents of child |
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| 40 | 40 | | abuse and neglect that have occurred in day-care facilities; |
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| 41 | 41 | | (C) contact information for state and local |
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| 42 | 42 | | agencies that can provide additional assistance to parents and |
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| 43 | 43 | | individuals with questions about day-care facilities; |
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| 44 | 44 | | (D) the following information for each day-care |
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| 45 | 45 | | provider: |
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| 46 | 46 | | (i) the provider's address and zip code; |
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| 47 | 47 | | (ii) whether the provider is licensed, |
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| 48 | 48 | | listed, or registered; |
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| 49 | 49 | | (iii) the provider's hours of operation; |
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| 50 | 50 | | (iv) the setting of the day-care provider; |
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| 51 | 51 | | (v) the ages of children served by the |
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| 52 | 52 | | provider; |
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| 53 | 53 | | (vi) whether the provider participates in |
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| 54 | 54 | | the Texas Workforce Commission's child care subsidy program; |
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| 55 | 55 | | (vii) the provider's Texas Rising Star |
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| 56 | 56 | | Program rating provided by the Texas Workforce Commission; |
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| 57 | 57 | | (viii) the provider's status as an Early |
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| 58 | 58 | | Head Start or Head Start provider as provided by the Texas Head |
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| 59 | 59 | | Start State Collaboration Office; and |
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| 60 | 60 | | (ix) a link to each inspection report for |
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| 61 | 61 | | the provider posted on the commission's Internet website; and |
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| 62 | 62 | | (E) an optional profile for each day-care |
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| 63 | 63 | | provider, developed in collaboration with the provider, that |
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| 64 | 64 | | includes a brief narrative about the provider, information about |
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| 65 | 65 | | the provider's services, and photographs. |
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| 66 | 66 | | (c) The commission shall consult with the Texas Early |
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| 67 | 67 | | Learning Council in developing the Internet website required by |
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| 68 | 68 | | this section. |
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| 69 | 69 | | (d) The commission shall make the Internet website |
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| 70 | 70 | | available through a mobile application for wireless communication |
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| 71 | 71 | | devices. |
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| 72 | 72 | | (e) The commission may contract with a third party to |
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| 73 | 73 | | establish the Internet website and mobile application for wireless |
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| 74 | 74 | | communication devices required under this section. |
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| 75 | 75 | | SECTION 3. Not later than January 1, 2020, the Health and |
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| 76 | 76 | | Human Services Commission shall make the Internet website required |
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| 77 | 77 | | by Section 42.026, Human Resources Code, as added by this Act, |
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| 78 | 78 | | available to the public. |
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| 79 | 79 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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