Bill Text: TX HB2607 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the powers and duties of the Texas Workforce Commission and local workforce development boards regarding the provision of child care and the subsidized child care program.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-1)
Status: (Passed) 2021-06-18 - Effective on 9/1/21 [HB2607 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB2607-Enrolled.html
H.B. No. 2607 |
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relating to the powers and duties of the Texas Workforce Commission | ||
and local workforce development boards regarding the provision of | ||
child care and the subsidized child care program. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 2308.3155, Government Code, is amended | ||
by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (b-1) and (b-2) | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(a) The Texas Rising Star Program is a [ |
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quality-based child care rating system of child care providers | ||
participating in the commission's subsidized child care program. | ||
(b-1) The rating system adopted under Subsection (b) must | ||
include an entry level rating for child care providers and a maximum | ||
length of time a provider may participate at the entry level rating. | ||
To qualify for the entry level rating a child care provider must | ||
meet the minimum quality standards that qualify the provider to | ||
receive technical assistance and support under the Texas Rising | ||
Star Program. A provider participating at the entry level rating is | ||
not eligible for increased reimbursement rates. | ||
(b-2) The commission shall develop a process to allow a | ||
child care provider to request a waiver to extend the length of time | ||
the provider may participate at the entry level rating described by | ||
Subsection (b-1). The waiver authorized by this subsection may not | ||
exceed 36 months. | ||
SECTION 2. Sections 302.0042(b) and (c), Labor Code, are | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
(b) The commission's evaluation must assess: | ||
(1) the use of current federal child care funds by each | ||
local workforce development board; | ||
(2) the ability of each local workforce development | ||
board to meet child care performance measures; | ||
(3) the average cost of child care in each local | ||
workforce development area; | ||
(4) the average monthly price charged by child care | ||
providers for full-day child care in each local workforce | ||
development area as stated in the market rate survey conducted | ||
under 45 C.F.R. Section 98.45(c); | ||
(5) the average monthly price charged by quality child | ||
care providers for full-day child care in each local workforce | ||
development area; | ||
(6) the poverty rate of each local workforce | ||
development area compared to the state's poverty rate; | ||
(7) the number of children on waiting lists for child | ||
care in each local workforce development area; | ||
(8) the number of places that are reserved by each | ||
local workforce development board in contracts authorized under | ||
Section 302.0461 for participants in the child-care subsidy program | ||
out of the total number of children enrolled with a provider on a | ||
full-time basis categorized by age of the child for each provider in | ||
each local workforce development area that is certified as a | ||
2-star, 3-star, or 4-star provider in the Texas Rising Star Program | ||
or that does not participate in the Texas Rising Star Program; | ||
(9) the total number of child care providers | ||
participating in the Texas Rising Star Program in each local | ||
workforce development area and the number of 2-star, 3-star, and | ||
4-star rated child care providers in the local workforce | ||
development area; | ||
(10) the number of child care providers participating | ||
in the Texas Rising Star Program in each local workforce | ||
development area as a percentage of the total number of both | ||
subsidized child care providers and all child care providers in the | ||
local workforce development area; | ||
(11) the number of 2-star, 3-star, and 4-star rated | ||
child care providers in the local workforce development area as a | ||
percentage of the total number of both subsidized child care | ||
providers and all child care providers in the local workforce | ||
development area; | ||
(12) the total number of children enrolled in | ||
subsidized child care providers participating in the Texas Rising | ||
Star Program in each local workforce development area and the | ||
number of subsidized children enrolled in 2-star, 3-star, and | ||
4-star rated child care providers in the local workforce | ||
development area; [ |
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(13) the number of subsidized children enrolled in | ||
child care providers participating in the Texas Rising Star Program | ||
in each local workforce development area as a percentage of the | ||
total number of subsidized children enrolled in child care | ||
providers in the local workforce development area and the number of | ||
subsidized children enrolled in 2-star, 3-star, and 4-star rated | ||
child care providers in the local workforce development area as a | ||
percentage of the total number of subsidized children enrolled in | ||
child care providers in the local workforce development area; and | ||
(14) the number of 3-star and 4-star rated child care | ||
providers participating in partnerships with public school | ||
districts and public charter schools based on data provided by the | ||
Texas Education Agency, as necessary. | ||
(c) For the purposes of evaluation under this section, the | ||
commission shall annually update the information described by | ||
Subsections (b)(7)-(14) [ |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 302, Labor Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 302.00436 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 302.00436. SUBSIDIZED CHILD CARE PROGRAM: INFORMATION | ||
FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Each local workforce development board shall | ||
inform the local school districts and open-enrollment charter | ||
schools in the workforce development area regarding opportunities | ||
to partner with child-care providers in the board's area to expand | ||
access to and provide facilities for prekindergarten programs. | ||
SECTION 4. Section 302.0461(d), Labor Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(d) The commission shall determine the information that | ||
must be included in the report required by Subsection (c). A local | ||
workforce development board shall update the report required by | ||
Subsection (c) every 12 [ |
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its initial report to the commission. | ||
SECTION 5. The Texas Workforce Commission and local | ||
workforce development boards are required to implement a provision | ||
of this Act only if federal money is available for that purpose and | ||
using the federal money for that purpose would not result in | ||
supplanting or decreasing existing funding for programs currently | ||
funded by the Texas Workforce Commission using available federal | ||
money under the Child Care Development Block Grant. If the state | ||
does not receive sufficient additional federal money under the | ||
Child Care Development Block Grant or other federal money to | ||
implement a provision of this Act, the commission and the boards | ||
may, but are not required to, implement a provision of this Act | ||
using other appropriations available for that purpose. | ||
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.B. No. 2607 was passed by the House on April | ||
15, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 88, Nays 58, 1 present, not | ||
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. | ||
No. 2607 on May 28, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 88, Nays 58, | ||
1 present, not voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.B. No. 2607 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
amendments, on May 25, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays | ||
4. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: __________________ | ||
Date | ||
__________________ | ||
Governor |