| 1 | 1 | | 88S30274 BDP-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Smith H.B. No. 121 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | relating to establishing a pilot program to provide school district |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | employees assistance with child-care services. |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 22, Education Code, is |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 22.012 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 22.012. CHILD-CARE SERVICES ASSISTANCE PILOT PROGRAM. |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | (a) In this section: |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | (1) "Child-care facility" has the meaning assigned by |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | Section 42.002, Human Resources Code. |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | (2) "Pilot program" means the child-care services |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | assistance pilot program established under this section. |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | (b) The agency shall establish the child-care services |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | assistance pilot program to award grants to school districts to |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | provide child-care services for children of district employees. |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | (c) A grant awarded to a school district under the pilot |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | program may be used to: |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | (1) establish a child-care facility on district |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | property; |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | (2) contract with a child-care facility to provide |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | child-care services for children of district employees; or |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | (3) provide district employees with stipends to cover |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | all or part of the costs of child-care services. |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | (d) The agency shall: |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | (1) establish criteria for awarding grants to school |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | districts under the pilot program that include criteria based on: |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | (A) the availability of child-care facilities in |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | a district; |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | (B) the need for child-care services assistance |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | among district employees; and |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | (C) any other factor the agency determines is |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | necessary and relevant; and |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | (2) to the extent practicable, award grants to a |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | representative sample of school districts, including at least: |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | (A) one school district with a student enrollment |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | of 10,000 or more; |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | (B) one school district with a student enrollment |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | of at least 2,500 but less than 10,000; |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | (C) one school district with a student enrollment |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | of more than 1,000 but less than 2,500; and |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | (D) one school district with a student enrollment |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | of 1,000 or less. |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | (e) To receive a grant under the pilot program, a school |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | district must apply to the agency in the form and manner prescribed |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | by the agency. |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | (f) Not later than September 1, 2026, each school district |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | that received a grant under the pilot program shall submit to the |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | agency a report that includes: |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | (1) an itemized list of each item on which the district |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | spent the grant money; and |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | (2) an evaluation of the pilot program by district |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | employees who received child-care services or a stipend under the |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | pilot program. |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | (g) Not later than December 1, 2026, the agency shall submit |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | to the legislature a report on the effectiveness of the pilot |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | program, using data reported to the agency under Subsection (f), |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | and any recommendations for legislative or other action. |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | (h) This section expires September 1, 2027. |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | legislative session. |
|---|