Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4333 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R12651 CAE-F
2	2	By: Meyer H.B. No. 4333
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 prekindergarten classes [under Section 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. Subchapter E, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
94	94	amended by adding Section 29.1536 to read as follows:
95	95	Sec. 29.1536. ELIGIBLE PRIVATE PROVIDERS. (a) A school
96	96	district may enter into a contract with an eligible private
97	97	provider to provide services or equipment for or to establish a
98	98	prekindergarten program.
99	99	(b) To be eligible to contract with a school district to
100	100	provide a program or part of a program, a private provider must be
101	101	licensed by and in good standing with the Department of Family and
102	102	Protective Services. For purposes of this section, a private
103	103	provider is in good standing with the Department of Family and
104	104	Protective Services if the department has not taken an action
105	105	against the provider's license under Section 42.071, 42.072, or
106	106	42.078, Human Resources Code, during the 24-month period preceding
107	107	the date of a contract with a school district. The private provider
108	108	must also:
109	109	(1) be accredited by a research-based, nationally
110	110	recognized, and universally accessible accreditation system
111	111	approved by the commissioner;
112	112	(2) be a Texas Rising Star Program provider with a
113	113	three-star certification or higher;
114	114	(3) be a Texas School Ready! participant;
115	115	(4) have an existing partnership with a school
116	116	district to provide a prekindergarten program not provided under
117	117	this subchapter; or
118	118	(5) be accredited by an organization that is
119	119	recognized by the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission.
120	120	(c) A prekindergarten program provided by a private
121	121	provider under this section is subject to the requirements of this
122	122	subchapter.
123	123	SECTION 5. Sections 29.166(a) and (c), Education Code, are
124	124	amended to read as follows:
125	125	(a) A school district is eligible for full-day [half-day]
126	126	funding under the Foundation School Program for each student who
127	127	satisfies eligibility requirements under Section 29.153(b) and who
128	128	is enrolled in a program class.
129	129	(c) A student qualifies for additional funding under
130	130	Subsection (b) if the student[:
131	131	[(1) satisfies eligibility requirements under Section
132	132	29.153(b); and
133	133	[(2)] is four years of age on September 1 of the year
134	134	the student begins the program.
135	135	SECTION 6. Section 29.153(d), Education Code, is repealed.
136	136	SECTION 7. This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020
137	137	school year.
138	138	SECTION 8. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
139	139	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
140	140	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
141	141	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
142	142	Act takes effect September 1, 2019.