| 1 | 1 | | 88R14446 AMF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 2300 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to establishing a statewide reading enrichment program. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 3, Human Resources Code, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended by adding Chapter 74 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | CHAPTER 74. STATEWIDE READING ENRICHMENT PROGRAM |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 74.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (1) "Commission" means the Texas Workforce |
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| 14 | 14 | | Commission. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (2) "Program" means the statewide reading enrichment |
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| 16 | 16 | | program established under this chapter. |
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| 17 | 17 | | Sec. 74.002. STATEWIDE READING ENRICHMENT PROGRAM. (a) |
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| 18 | 18 | | The commission, in collaboration with the Texas Education Agency, |
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| 19 | 19 | | shall establish a statewide reading enrichment program to encourage |
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| 20 | 20 | | early childhood literacy and support the future educational and |
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| 21 | 21 | | economic success of children in this state by mailing |
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| 22 | 22 | | age-appropriate books on a monthly basis to children six years of |
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| 23 | 23 | | age or younger who register for the program. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (b) The commission, after consulting with the Texas |
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| 25 | 25 | | Education Agency, shall: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (1) develop a list of high-quality, age-appropriate |
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| 27 | 27 | | books encompassing diverse subjects and genres to be distributed to |
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| 28 | 28 | | children in the program; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (2) publish on the commission's Internet website |
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| 30 | 30 | | information about the program; and |
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| 31 | 31 | | (3) develop, coordinate, and promote a statewide |
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| 32 | 32 | | public awareness campaign to inform the public regarding the |
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| 33 | 33 | | program, including how to register eligible children into the |
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| 34 | 34 | | program. |
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| 35 | 35 | | Sec. 74.003. FUNDING. The commission shall actively seek |
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| 36 | 36 | | and apply for any available federal funding to assist in financing |
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| 37 | 37 | | the program, including funding available under the Child Care and |
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| 38 | 38 | | Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Section 9858 et |
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| 39 | 39 | | seq.). |
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| 40 | 40 | | Sec. 74.004. RULES. The commission may adopt rules as |
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| 41 | 41 | | necessary to implement this section. |
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| 42 | 42 | | SECTION 2. The Texas Workforce Commission shall, as soon as |
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| 43 | 43 | | practicable after the effective date of this Act, apply for any |
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| 44 | 44 | | available federal money to assist in financing the statewide |
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| 45 | 45 | | reading enrichment program under Chapter 74, Human Resources Code, |
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| 46 | 46 | | as added by this Act. |
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| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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