Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2607 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	H.B. No. 2607
	1	+	By: Talarico, Button, Minjarez H.B. No. 2607
	2	+	(Senate Sponsor - Lucio, Hinojosa)
	3	+	(In the Senate - Received from the House April 19, 2021;
	4	+	May 17, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on Natural
	5	+	Resources & Economic Development; May 24, 2021, reported
	6	+	adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following
	7	+	vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 24, 2021, sent to printer.)
	8	+	Click here to see the committee vote
	9	+	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 2607 By: Lucio
2	10
3	11
	12	+	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
4	13		AN ACT
5	14		relating to the powers and duties of the Texas Workforce Commission
6	15		and local workforce development boards regarding the provision of
7	16		child care and the subsidized child care program.
8	17		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	18		SECTION 1. Section 2308.3155, Government Code, is amended
10	19		by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (b-1) and (b-2)
11	20		to read as follows:
12	21		(a) The Texas Rising Star Program is a [voluntary,]
13	22		quality-based child care rating system of child care providers
14	23		participating in the commission's subsidized child care program.
15	24		(b-1) The rating system adopted under Subsection (b) must
16	25		include an entry level rating for child care providers and a maximum
17	26		length of time a provider may participate at the entry level rating.
18	27		To qualify for the entry level rating a child care provider must
19	28		meet the minimum quality standards that qualify the provider to
20	29		receive technical assistance and support under the Texas Rising
21	30		Star Program. A provider participating at the entry level rating is
22	31		not eligible for increased reimbursement rates.
23	32		(b-2) The commission shall develop a process to allow a
24	33		child care provider to request a waiver to extend the length of time
25	34		the provider may participate at the entry level rating described by
26	35		Subsection (b-1). The waiver authorized by this subsection may not
27	36		exceed 36 months.
28	37		SECTION 2. Sections 302.0042(b) and (c), Labor Code, are
29	38		amended to read as follows:
30	39		(b) The commission's evaluation must assess:
31	40		(1) the use of current federal child care funds by each
32	41		local workforce development board;
33	42		(2) the ability of each local workforce development
34	43		board to meet child care performance measures;
35	44		(3) the average cost of child care in each local
36	45		workforce development area;
37	46		(4) the average monthly price charged by child care
38	47		providers for full-day child care in each local workforce
39	48		development area as stated in the market rate survey conducted
40	49		under 45 C.F.R. Section 98.45(c);
41	50		(5) the average monthly price charged by quality child
42	51		care providers for full-day child care in each local workforce
43	52		development area;
44	53		(6) the poverty rate of each local workforce
45	54		development area compared to the state's poverty rate;
46	55		(7) the number of children on waiting lists for child
47	56		care in each local workforce development area;
48	57		(8) the number of places that are reserved by each
49	58		local workforce development board in contracts authorized under
50	59		Section 302.0461 for participants in the child-care subsidy program
51	60		out of the total number of children enrolled with a provider on a
52	61		full-time basis categorized by age of the child for each provider in
53	62		each local workforce development area that is certified as a
54	63		2-star, 3-star, or 4-star provider in the Texas Rising Star Program
55	64		or that does not participate in the Texas Rising Star Program;
56	65		(9) the total number of child care providers
57	66		participating in the Texas Rising Star Program in each local
58	67		workforce development area and the number of 2-star, 3-star, and
59	68		4-star rated child care providers in the local workforce
60	69		development area;
61	70		(10) the number of child care providers participating
62	71		in the Texas Rising Star Program in each local workforce
63	72		development area as a percentage of the total number of both
64	73		subsidized child care providers and all child care providers in the
65	74		local workforce development area;
66	75		(11) the number of 2-star, 3-star, and 4-star rated
67	76		child care providers in the local workforce development area as a
68	77		percentage of the total number of both subsidized child care
69	78		providers and all child care providers in the local workforce
70	79		development area;
71	80		(12) the total number of children enrolled in
72	81		subsidized child care providers participating in the Texas Rising
73	82		Star Program in each local workforce development area and the
74	83		number of subsidized children enrolled in 2-star, 3-star, and
75	84		4-star rated child care providers in the local workforce
76	85		development area; [and]
77	86		(13) the number of subsidized children enrolled in
78	87		child care providers participating in the Texas Rising Star Program
79	88		in each local workforce development area as a percentage of the
80	89		total number of subsidized children enrolled in child care
81	90		providers in the local workforce development area and the number of
82	91		subsidized children enrolled in 2-star, 3-star, and 4-star rated
83	92		child care providers in the local workforce development area as a
84	93		percentage of the total number of subsidized children enrolled in
85	94		child care providers in the local workforce development area; and
86	95		(14) the number of 3-star and 4-star rated child care
87	96		providers participating in partnerships with public school
88	97		districts and public charter schools based on data provided by the
89	98		Texas Education Agency, as necessary.
90	99		(c) For the purposes of evaluation under this section, the
91	100		commission shall annually update the information described by
92	101		Subsections (b)(7)-(14) [(b)(7)-(13)].
93	102		SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 302, Labor Code, is
94	103		amended by adding Section 302.00436 to read as follows:
95	104		Sec. 302.00436. SUBSIDIZED CHILD CARE PROGRAM: INFORMATION
96	105		FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Each local workforce development board shall
97	106		inform the local school districts and open-enrollment charter
98	107		schools in the workforce development area regarding opportunities
99	108		to partner with child-care providers in the board's area to expand
100	109		access to and provide facilities for prekindergarten programs.
101	110		SECTION 4. Section 302.0461(d), Labor Code, is amended to
102	111		read as follows:
103	112		(d) The commission shall determine the information that
104	113		must be included in the report required by Subsection (c). A local
105	114		workforce development board shall update the report required by
106	115		Subsection (c) every 12 [six] months from the date the board submits
107	116		its initial report to the commission.
108	117		SECTION 5. The Texas Workforce Commission and local
109	118		workforce development boards are required to implement a provision
110	119		of this Act only if federal money is available for that purpose and
111	120		using the federal money for that purpose would not result in
112	121		supplanting or decreasing existing funding for programs currently
113	122		funded by the Texas Workforce Commission using available federal
114	123		money under the Child Care Development Block Grant. If the state
115	124		does not receive sufficient additional federal money under the
116	125		Child Care Development Block Grant or other federal money to
117	126		implement a provision of this Act, the commission and the boards
118	127		may, but are not required to, implement a provision of this Act
119	128		using other appropriations available for that purpose.
120	129		SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
121		-	______________________________ ______________________________
122		-	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
123		-	I certify that H.B. No. 2607 was passed by the House on April
124		-	15, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 88, Nays 58, 1 present, not
125		-	voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
126		-	No. 2607 on May 28, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 88, Nays 58,
127		-	1 present, not voting.
128		-	______________________________
129		-	Chief Clerk of the House
130		-	I certify that H.B. No. 2607 was passed by the Senate, with
131		-	amendments, on May 25, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays
132		-	4.
133		-	______________________________
134		-	Secretary of the Senate
135		-	APPROVED: __________________
136		-	Date
137		-	__________________
138		-	Governor
	130	+	* * * * *