H.B. No. 619
AN ACT
relating to developing a strategic plan to support the child-care
workforce.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 302, Labor Code, is
amended by adding Section 302.0062 to read as follows:
Sec. 302.0062. STRATEGIC PLAN TO SUPPORT CHILD-CARE
WORKFORCE. (a) The commission shall prepare a strategic plan for
improving the quality of the infant, toddler, preschool, and
school-age child-care workforce in this state. The strategic plan
must include:
(1) recommendations for local workforce development
boards to improve, sustain, and support the child-care workforce;
(2) recommendations for increasing compensation for
and reducing turnover of child-care workers;
(3) recommendations for eliminating pay disparities
in the child-care workforce;
(4) recommendations for increasing paid opportunities
for professional development and education for child-care workers,
including apprenticeships;
(5) best practices from local workforce development
boards in this state and other programs designed to support
child-care workers;
(6) recommendations for increasing participation in
the Texas Early Childhood Professional Development System;
(7) recommendations for public and private
institutions of higher education to:
(A) increase the use of articulation agreements
with school districts and open-enrollment charter schools; and
(B) assist in the education and training of
child-care workers;
(8) specific recommendations for improving the infant
and toddler child-care workforce; and
(9) a timeline and benchmarks for the commission and
local workforce development boards to implement recommendations
from the strategic plan.
(b) The commission shall convene a workgroup to assist the
commission in developing the plan. The workgroup shall include:
(1) child-care providers;
(2) community stakeholders; and
(3) child-care workers.
(c) The commission shall use the following information in
creating the plan:
(1) demographic data of child-care workers in this
state, including:
(A) the race, ethnicity, gender, and educational
attainment of child-care workers; and
(B) the ages of the children the worker serves;
(2) compensation data for child-care workers
disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, and educational
attainment;
(3) the information described by Subdivisions (1) and
(2) for a representative sample set of child-care facilities in the
state; and
(4) information provided by the workgroup established
under Subsection (b).
(d) The commission shall provide the strategic plan
prepared under this section to the governor, the lieutenant
governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives.
(e) The commission shall update the strategic plan prepared
under this section every three years.
SECTION 2. Not later than December 31, 2022, the Texas
Workforce Commission shall make the strategic plan required by
Section 302.0062, Labor Code, as added by this Act, available to the
governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of
representatives.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 619 was passed by the House on April
20, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 91, Nays 54, 1 present, not
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
No. 619 on May 28, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 95, Nays 47, 2
present, not voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 619 was passed by the Senate, with
amendments, on May 24, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 25, Nays
5.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: __________________
Date
__________________
Governor