Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3739 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R11474 EAS-D
2	2	By: Goldman H.B. No. 3739
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to including certain child care providers in the Texas
8	8	Rising Star Program and establishing a pilot program to expand
9	9	participation in the Texas Rising Star Program.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Section 2308.3155, Government Code, is amended
12	12	by amending Subsections (a) and (b) to read as follows:
13	13	(a) The Texas Rising Star Program is a [voluntary,]
14	14	quality-based child care rating and quality improvement system of
15	15	child care providers licensed by or registered with the Health and
16	16	Human Services Commission [participating in the commission's
17	17	subsidized child care program].
18	18	(b) The commission shall adopt rules to administer the Texas
19	19	Rising Star Program, including:
20	20	(1) guidelines for rating a child-care provider who
21	21	provides child care to a child younger than 13 years of age,
22	22	including infants and toddlers[, enrolled in the subsidized
23	23	program]; and
24	24	(2) a timeline and process for regularly reviewing and
25	25	updating the quality standards used to determine the rating system
26	26	that includes the commission's consideration of input from
27	27	interested parties regarding those standards.
28	28	SECTION 2. Subchapter G, Chapter 2308, Government Code, is
29	29	amended by adding Section 2308.3157 to read as follows:
30	30	Sec. 2308.3157. TEXAS RISING STAR PROGRAM PILOT PROGRAM.
31	31	(a) A local workforce development board may operate a pilot program
32	32	in the area in which the board operates to increase the number of
33	33	quality child-care providers in the area. A pilot program under
34	34	this section must increase participation in the Texas Rising Star
35	35	Program by:
36	36	(1) allowing all licensed and registered child-care
37	37	facilities in the local workforce development area to participate
38	38	in the Texas Rising Star Program;
39	39	(2) requiring all subsidized child-care providers in
40	40	the local workforce development area to participate in the Texas
41	41	Rising Star Program;
42	42	(3) allowing the local workforce development board to
43	43	contract with subsidized child-care providers operating in the
44	44	board's area and participating in the Texas Rising Star Program to
45	45	provide child-care services; or
46	46	(4) a combination of the methods described in
47	47	Subdivisions (1), (2), and (3).
48	48	(b) Each local workforce development board participating in
49	49	a pilot program must:
50	50	(1) provide quality improvement support and resources
51	51	to participating child-care providers; and
52	52	(2) give priority to child-care providers that:
53	53	(A) operate in an area with a higher poverty rate
54	54	than the state's average poverty rate; or
55	55	(B) primarily serve low-income families.
56	56	(c) A local workforce development board is not required to
57	57	participate in a pilot program authorized by this section.
58	58	(d) Not later than 18 months after the date a local
59	59	workforce development board begins a pilot program authorized by
60	60	this section, the board shall submit a report to the commission and
61	61	the governor's Texas Early Learning Council that includes:
62	62	(1) a summary of each local workforce development
63	63	board's evaluation of the results of the board's pilot program; and
64	64	(2) a recommendation regarding the method for
65	65	implementing the pilot program and expanding the program to other
66	66	local workforce development boards.
67	67	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.