By: West S.J.R. No. 56
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
proposing a constitutional amendment providing for the creation of
the child care protection and enhancement fund.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended by
adding Section 49-r to read as follows:
Sec. 49-r. (a)The child care protection and enhancement
fund is established as a trust fund outside the treasury.In
accordance with general law, the fund may be used only the
expansion of capacity of childcare seats in Texas, or the
enhancement of state-subsidized care rates.
(b) The child care protection and enhancement fund consists
of:
(1) money appropriated, credited, or transferred to
the fund by the legislature;
(2) gifts, grants, and donations received by the Texas
Comptroller of Public Accounts in function for a purpose for which
money in the fund may be used under this section; and
(3) investment earnings and interest earned on amounts
credited to the fund.
(c) The legislature may appropriate money from the child
care protection and enhancement fund to the Texas Workforce
Commission or the department's successor in function for the
purposes prescribed for the fund by this section and general law.
(d) For purposes of Section 22, Article VIII, of this
constitution:
(1) money in the child care protection and enhancement
fund is dedicated by this constitution; and
(2) an appropriation of state tax revenues for the
purpose of depositing money to the credit of the fund is treated as
if it were an appropriation of revenues dedicated by this
constitution.
(e) The reasonable expenses of managing the fund and its
assets shall be paid from the fund.
SECTION 2. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 4, 2025.
The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the
proposition: "The constitutional amendment providing for the
creation of the childcare protection and enhancement fund to be
used for the enhancement of childcare in this state."