Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2646 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R11485 RAL-D
2	2	By: Dutton H.B. No. 2646
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the establishment of the private child care task force.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. (a) In this section, "task force" means the
12	12	private child care task force.
13	13	(b) The private child care task force is established to
14	14	study private child care providers in this state and methods to:
15	15	(1) reduce the amounts charged for high-quality child
16	16	care provided by private child care providers;
17	17	(2) increase the availability of high-quality child
18	18	care provided by private child care providers;
19	19	(3) address issues with wait lists for scholarships to
20	20	receive high-quality child care; and
21	21	(4) increase the number of families who are able to
22	22	receive high-quality child care.
23	23	(c) The task force is composed of seven members appointed as
24	24	follows:
25	25	(1) one member appointed by the governor to represent
26	26	the governor;
27	27	(2) three members of the senate, appointed by the
28	28	lieutenant governor; and
29	29	(3) three members of the house of representatives,
30	30	appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
31	31	(d) A task force member is not entitled to compensation for
32	32	service on the task force but is entitled to reimbursement for
33	33	actual and necessary expenses incurred in performing task force
34	34	duties. The task force may accept gifts, grants, and donations to
35	35	pay for those expenses.
36	36	(e) The member appointed by the governor shall serve as the
37	37	presiding officer of the task force.
38	38	(f) The task force shall meet at least quarterly at the call
39	39	of the presiding officer.
40	40	(g) Notwithstanding Chapter 551, Government Code, or any
41	41	other law, the task force may meet by telephone conference call,
42	42	videoconference, or other similar telecommunication method. A
43	43	meeting held by telephone conference call, videoconference, or
44	44	other similar telecommunication method is subject to the
45	45	requirements of Sections 551.125(c), (d), (e), and (f), Government
46	46	Code.
47	47	(h) The task force shall conduct a study to examine:
48	48	(1) the amounts charged for high-quality child care
49	49	provided by private child care providers;
50	50	(2) the availability of high-quality child care
51	51	provided by private child care providers;
52	52	(3) wait lists for scholarships to receive
53	53	high-quality child care;
54	54	(4) methods to reduce the cost to families and
55	55	increase the availability of high-quality child care;
56	56	(5) strategies to increase the number of
57	57	prekindergarten partnerships between independent school districts
58	58	and high-quality child care programs; and
59	59	(6) methods to strengthen the child care industry.
60	60	(i) The task force may request relevant information from the
61	61	Health and Human Services Commission, the Texas Workforce
62	62	Commission, and the Texas Education Agency, and the entity
63	63	receiving the request shall comply with the request.
64	64	(j) The task force shall develop recommendations to reduce
65	65	the amounts charged for and increase the availability of
66	66	high-quality child care by private child care providers and
67	67	prekindergarten partnerships.
68	68	(k) The task force shall develop and submit a written report
69	69	on the study and recommendations developed by the task force to the
70	70	governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of
71	71	representatives, and each member of the legislature not later than
72	72	November 1, 2026.
73	73	(l) The task force is abolished and this Act expires June 1,
74	74	2027.
75	75	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
76	76	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
77	77	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
78	78	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
79	79	Act takes effect September 1, 2025.