Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB940 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	By: Dutton H.B. No. 940
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to the establishment of the private child care task force.
7	7	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
8	8	SECTION 1. (a) In this section, "task force" means the
9	9	private child care task force.
10	10	(b) The private child care task force is established to
11	11	study private child care providers in this state and methods to:
12	12	(1) reduce the amounts charged for high-quality child
13	13	care provided by private child care providers;
14	14	(2) increase the availability of high-quality child
15	15	care provided by private child care providers;
16	16	(3) address issues with wait lists for scholarships to
17	17	receive high-quality child care; and
18	18	(4) increase the number of families who are able to
19	19	receive high-quality child care.
20	20	(c) The task force is composed of seven members appointed as
21	21	follows:
22	22	(1) one member appointed by the governor to represent
23	23	the governor;
24	24	(2) three members of the senate, appointed by the
25	25	lieutenant governor; and
26	26	(3) three members of the house of representatives,
27	27	appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
28	28	(d) A task force member is not entitled to compensation for
29	29	service on the task force but is entitled to reimbursement for
30	30	actual and necessary expenses incurred in performing task force
31	31	duties. The task force may accept gifts, grants, and donations to
32	32	pay for those expenses.
33	33	(e) The member appointed by the governor shall serve as the
34	34	presiding officer of the task force.
35	35	(f) The task force shall meet at least quarterly at the call
36	36	of the presiding officer.
37	37	(g) Notwithstanding Chapter 551, Government Code, or any
38	38	other law, the task force may meet by telephone conference call,
39	39	videoconference, or other similar telecommunication method. A
40	40	meeting held by telephone conference call, videoconference, or
41	41	other similar telecommunication method is subject to the
42	42	requirements of Sections 551.125(c), (d), (e), and (f), Government
43	43	Code.
44	44	(h) The task force shall conduct a study to examine:
45	45	(1) the amounts charged for high-quality child care
46	46	provided by private child care providers;
47	47	(2) the availability of high-quality child care
48	48	provided by private child care providers;
49	49	(3) wait lists for scholarships to receive
50	50	high-quality child care;
51	51	(4) methods to reduce the cost to families and
52	52	increase the availability of high-quality child care;
53	53	(5) strategies to increase the number of
54	54	prekindergarten partnerships between independent school districts
55	55	and high-quality child care programs; and
56	56	(6) methods to strengthen the child care industry.
57	57	(i) The task force may request relevant information from the
58	58	Health and Human Services Commission, the Texas Workforce
59	59	Commission, and the Texas Education Agency, and the entity
60	60	receiving the request shall comply with the request.
61	61	(j) The task force shall develop recommendations to reduce
62	62	the amounts charged for and increase the availability of
63	63	high-quality child care by private child care providers and of
64	64	prekindergarten partnerships.
65	65	(k) The task force shall develop and submit a written report
66	66	on the study and recommendations developed by the task force to the
67	67	governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of
68	68	representatives, and each member of the legislature not later than
69	69	November 1, 2024.
70	70	(l) The task force is abolished and this Act expires June 1,
71	71	2024.
72	72	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
73	73	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
74	74	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
75	75	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
76	76	Act takes effect September 1, 2023.