| 1 | 1 | | 88S30096 MM-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Gervin-Hawkins H.B. No. 44 |
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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 a grant program to provide free public school |
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| 8 | 8 | | prekindergarten programs to certain children who are eligible for |
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| 9 | 9 | | the subsidized child-care program administered by the Texas |
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| 10 | 10 | | Workforce Commission. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended by adding Section 29.1537 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 29.1537. PREKINDERGARTEN COMMUNITY-BASED CHILD-CARE |
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| 15 | 15 | | PARTNERSHIP GRANT PROGRAM. (a) The commissioner shall establish |
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| 16 | 16 | | and administer a grant program to support school districts and |
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| 17 | 17 | | open-enrollment charter schools in increasing partnerships with |
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| 18 | 18 | | community-based child-care providers to provide prekindergarten |
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| 19 | 19 | | classes under Section 29.153. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (b) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may |
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| 21 | 21 | | apply for a grant under the program in partnership with a |
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| 22 | 22 | | community-based child-care provider described by Section |
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| 23 | 23 | | 29.153(g). |
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| 24 | 24 | | (c) A school district or open-enrollment charter school |
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| 25 | 25 | | shall use money received under the grant program to fund the |
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| 26 | 26 | | enrollment of eligible children in prekindergarten classes |
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| 27 | 27 | | provided under Section 29.153 through a partnership between the |
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| 28 | 28 | | district or school and a community-based child-care provider |
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| 29 | 29 | | described by Section 29.153(g). Notwithstanding Section |
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| 30 | 30 | | 29.153(b), a child is eligible for enrollment in a prekindergarten |
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| 31 | 31 | | class described by this subsection using money received under the |
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| 32 | 32 | | grant program if the child: |
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| 33 | 33 | | (1) is at least three years of age; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | (2) receives subsidized child-care services provided |
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| 35 | 35 | | through the child-care services program administered by the Texas |
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| 36 | 36 | | Workforce Commission. |
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| 37 | 37 | | (d) The commissioner may provide grants under the grant |
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| 38 | 38 | | program for the enrollment in each school year of not more than |
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| 39 | 39 | | 3,500 children in a prekindergarten class described by Subsection |
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| 40 | 40 | | (c). |
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| 41 | 41 | | (e) The agency shall annually report to the legislature |
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| 42 | 42 | | regarding the number of children whose enrollment in a |
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| 43 | 43 | | prekindergarten class is funded as described by Subsection (c). |
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| 44 | 44 | | SECTION 2. Section 29.1537, Education Code, as added by |
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| 45 | 45 | | this Act, applies beginning with the 2024-2025 school year. |
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| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 47 | 47 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 48 | 48 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 49 | 49 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 50 | 50 | | Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the |
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| 51 | 51 | | legislative session. |
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