| 1 | 1 | | 89R13492 KJE-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Reynolds H.B. No. 3297 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the establishment of the Texas prekindergarten fund to |
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| 10 | 10 | | support public school prekindergarten education. |
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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 29.1555 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 29.1555. TEXAS PREKINDERGARTEN FUND. (a) In this |
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| 15 | 15 | | section, "fund" means the Texas prekindergarten fund established |
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| 16 | 16 | | under this section. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) The Texas prekindergarten fund is a dedicated account in |
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| 18 | 18 | | the general revenue fund. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (c) The fund consists of: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) money appropriated or transferred to the fund; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (2) any revenue that by law is dedicated for deposit to |
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| 22 | 22 | | the credit of the fund; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (3) interest and investment earnings on money in the |
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| 24 | 24 | | fund; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | (4) money from gifts, grants, or donations to the |
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| 26 | 26 | | fund. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (d) Money in the fund may be used only to: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (1) expand access to high quality prekindergarten |
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| 29 | 29 | | programs for eligible children; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (2) provide financial assistance to school districts |
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| 31 | 31 | | and open-enrollment charter schools that offer prekindergarten; |
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| 32 | 32 | | (3) support professional development and training for |
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| 33 | 33 | | teachers who teach prekindergarten; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | (4) enhance facilities and instructional resources |
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| 35 | 35 | | for prekindergarten programs. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (e) The agency shall allocate money appropriated from the |
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| 37 | 37 | | fund to school districts and open-enrollment charter schools: |
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| 38 | 38 | | (1) based on: |
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| 39 | 39 | | (A) the percentage of educationally |
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| 40 | 40 | | disadvantaged students enrolled in the district or school; |
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| 41 | 41 | | (B) geographic and demographic needs at the |
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| 42 | 42 | | district or school; and |
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| 43 | 43 | | (C) the district's or school's compliance with |
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| 44 | 44 | | the standards for high quality prekindergarten programs under |
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| 45 | 45 | | Subchapter E-1; and |
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| 46 | 46 | | (2) prioritizing districts and schools that: |
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| 47 | 47 | | (A) serve low-income families; |
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| 48 | 48 | | (B) serve rural and underserved communities; or |
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| 49 | 49 | | (C) offer a prekindergarten program that |
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| 50 | 50 | | demonstrates high performance in early childhood education |
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| 51 | 51 | | outcomes. |
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| 52 | 52 | | (f) Not later than September 1 of each year, the agency |
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| 53 | 53 | | shall submit to the governor and the legislature a report on: |
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| 54 | 54 | | (1) the distribution of money appropriated from the |
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| 55 | 55 | | fund during the preceding school year; |
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| 56 | 56 | | (2) the impact of prekindergarten programs that |
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| 57 | 57 | | received money appropriated from the fund on student performance |
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| 58 | 58 | | during the preceding school year; and |
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| 59 | 59 | | (3) recommendations for legislative or other action. |
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| 60 | 60 | | (g) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to |
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| 61 | 61 | | implement this section. |
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| 62 | 62 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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