87R6673 MLH-D
By: Johnson of Dallas H.B. No. 1761
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the creation of the child care accessibility and
affordability task force.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. (a) In this section, "task force" means the child
care accessibility and affordability task force established under
this section.
(b) The task force is established to study the accessibility
and affordability of child care in this state.
(c) The task force is composed of the following 11 members:
(1) the executive commissioner of the Health and Human
Services Commission, or the executive commissioner's designee
approved by the governor; and
(2) 10 members appointed by the executive commissioner
of the Health and Human Services Commission as follows:
(A) two child development professionals who are
licensed to practice in this state, one of whom must specialize in
early childhood education;
(B) one representative of a state employee
organization described by Section 403.0165, Government Code;
(C) one representative of an organization
representing the interests of licensed child-care facilities;
(D) one social worker licensed to practice in
this state;
(E) one community advocate for child care
workers;
(F) one representative of the business community
in this state;
(G) one representative of or director from a
private child care facility;
(H) one home-based child care provider; and
(I) one state employee who is a parent of not less
than one school-aged child.
(d) A task force member is not entitled to compensation for
service on the task force but is entitled to reimbursement for
actual and necessary expenses incurred in performing task force
duties. The task force may accept gifts, grants, and donations to
pay for those expenses.
(e) The executive commissioner of the Health and Human
Services Commission shall appoint a chair and vice chair of the task
force.
(f) The task force shall meet at least quarterly at the call
of the chair and may meet at other times at the call of the chair.
The chair shall set the agenda for each meeting.
(g) Notwithstanding Chapter 551, Government Code, or any
other law, the task force may meet by telephone conference call,
videoconference, or other similar telecommunication method. A
meeting held by telephone conference call, videoconference, or
other similar telecommunication method is subject to the
requirements of Sections 551.125(c), (d), (e), and (f), Government
Code.
(h) The task force shall:
(1) conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the
accessibility and affordability of child care in this state;
(2) develop recommendations to incentivize
employer-supported child care;
(3) create a cost-estimate model to project the cost
of providing safe, accessible, and affordable child care to anyone
in this state who needs to use child care;
(4) identify regions of the state in which child care
is less accessible than in the state at large, and shall develop
recommendations for improving the availability of child care in
those regions, including:
(A) proposing policies that will address racial,
ethnic, and any geographic disparity and proportionality in the
delivery of child care services; and
(B) identifying opportunities to streamline the
child care licensing requirements and to facilitate development and
construction of additional child care facilities; and
(5) conduct a survey of state employees to better
understand the barriers to accessing and affording child care.
(i) The task force shall submit a written report to the
governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of
representatives, and each member of the legislature not later than
December 31, 2022, detailing the findings of the task force. The
report must include:
(1) a summary of the accessibility and affordability
of child care to state employees, as determined by the survey in
Subsection (h)(5) of this section; and
(2) a plan to provide accessible and affordable child
care to all families in this state by the year 2030.
(j) The task force is abolished and this Act expires June 1,
2023.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2021.