84R22062 LED-D
	By: King of Taylor	H.B. No. 3658

	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to the development and administration of a parent
	orientation and education pilot program for recipients of
	subsidized child-care services.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Subtitle B, Title 4, Labor Code, is amended by
	adding Chapter 316 to read as follows:
	CHAPTER 316. PARENT ORIENTATION AND EDUCATION PILOT PROGRAM
	Sec. 316.001.  PARENT ORIENTATION AND EDUCATION PILOT
	PROGRAM. (a) The commission shall develop and implement a pilot
	program to offer parent orientation and other parent education
	programs to parents receiving subsidized child-care services
	through a local workforce development board.
	(b)  The commission shall select one local workforce
	development board located in a rural area and one local workforce
	development board located in an urban area to participate in the
	pilot program.
	(c)  Not later than December 1, 2016, a participating local
	workforce development board shall competitively procure a
	curriculum for a parent orientation program to be offered by the
	local workforce development board to parents initially receiving or
	waiting to receive subsidized child-care services. Not later than
	December 1, 2016, the participating local workforce development
	board shall also competitively procure curricula for additional
	parent education programs for parents receiving subsidized
	child-care services to supplement parent orientation. To the extent
	practicable, a local workforce development board must procure
	commercially available parent education program curricula.
	(d)  A participating local workforce development board shall
	ensure that the curriculum for each program includes information
	for parents relating to:
	(1)  early brain development;
	(2)  child growth and development;
	(3)  the importance of continuity of child care; and
	(4)  strategies for:
	(A)  employing positive child guidance;
	(B)  selecting a quality child-care program; and
	(C)  supporting a child's educational success.
	Sec. 316.002.  PARENT PARTICIPATION IN PARENT ORIENTATION.
	(a)  A participating local workforce development board shall offer
	parent orientation to a parent who is eligible to receive
	subsidized child-care services through the board.  A board may not
	require a parent to participate in the orientation.
	(b)  A participating local workforce development board shall
	ensure that a parent who participates in the parent orientation
	receives priority for child-care services within the parent's
	priority group, as established by the commission, over those
	parents within the priority group who do not participate in the
	orientation.
	(c)  Each participating local workforce development board
	shall establish a deadline by which a parent who applies for
	subsidized child-care services must complete the parent
	orientation in order to receive the benefit of participation
	described in Subsection (b).
	Sec. 316.003.  PARENT ORIENTATION REQUIREMENTS. (a)  A
	participating local workforce development board shall use the
	parent orientation program curriculum procured by that board under
	Section 316.001 as the content of parent orientation.
	(b)  A participating local workforce development board shall
	offer parent orientation at least three times a month.
	(c)  A participating local workforce development board
	shall:
	(1)  select, in a manner consistent with contracting
	guidelines established under Section 2308.264, Government Code, an
	instructor for the parent orientation through a competitive
	procurement process; or
	(2)  select a contractor who is already providing
	workforce training or services to act as the instructor for parent
	orientation.
	(d)  A parent orientation session must:
	(1)  include both group discussion and video
	programming; and
	(2)  be at least 1-1/2 hours but not more than 3 hours
	in duration.
	(e)  A participating local workforce development board shall
	provide parent orientation in English and in a second language
	appropriate to the demographic makeup of the community served.
	(f)  A participating local workforce development board may
	conduct parent orientation at a physical location where the board
	provides services or at a location in the community that is
	accessible to participants in the orientation. The board shall
	provide the option to participate in parent orientation by video
	conference through the Internet.
	Sec. 316.004.  ADDITIONAL PARENT EDUCATION PROGRAMS. (a)
	In addition to parent orientation, a participating local workforce
	development board shall offer parent education programs using the
	parent education program curricula procured by that board under
	Section 316.001 to a parent receiving subsidized child-care
	services through the board. A board may not require a parent to
	participate in a parent education program.
	(b)  A participating local workforce development board may
	offer incentives to encourage participation in the parent education
	programs.
	(c)  A participating local workforce development board shall
	offer the parent education programs in the languages, locations,
	and manner described by Sections 316.003(e) and (f).
	Sec. 316.005.  PARENT EDUCATION PROGRAM IN LIEU OF
	TERMINATION. (a)  Subject to Subsection (b), a parent receiving
	subsidized child-care services through a participating local
	workforce development board who becomes ineligible for subsidized
	child-care services because of a child's excessive absences may
	retain eligibility for child-care services if the parent:
	(1)  enrolls in a parent education program offered by a
	local workforce development board under Section 316.004 not later
	than the 30th day after the date the board sends notice of
	ineligibility to the parent; and
	(2)  successfully completes the parent education
	program within the time designated by board policy.
	(b)  A parent may retain eligibility for child-care services
	by completing a parent education program as provided by this
	section after only the first time the parent becomes ineligible for
	a reason under Subsection (a).
	(c)  A participating local workforce development board shall
	adopt policies to administer this section, including a policy that:
	(1)  specifies the manner in which a parent proves
	successful completion of a parent education program under this
	section; and
	(2)  ensures that a parent described under Subsection
	(a) will continue to receive child-care services while the parent
	is completing the parent education program.
	Sec. 316.006.  EVALUATION AND REPORT TO LEGISLATURE. (a)
	The commission shall develop a process for evaluating the
	effectiveness of the parent orientation and education programs and
	determine performance measures for the evaluation process not later
	than January 1, 2018.
	(b)  The evaluation process under this section must:
	(1)  provide for the collection of feedback from
	parents who participated in the parent orientation and education
	programs; and
	(2)  determine whether the parent orientation and
	education programs should be continued, modified, or expanded for
	statewide implementation.
	(c)  The commission shall issue a report to the legislature
	regarding the commission's findings under this section and
	recommendations regarding the parent orientation and education
	programs.
	Sec. 316.007.  EXPIRATION.  This chapter expires January 15,
	2019.
	SECTION 2.  The Texas Workforce Commission is required to
	perform the evaluation and issue the report as required under
	Section 316.006, Labor Code, as added by this Act, not later than
	January 15, 2019.
	SECTION 3.  If before implementing any provision of this Act
	a state agency determines that authorization from a federal agency
	is necessary for implementation of that provision, the agency
	affected by the provision shall request the authorization and may
	delay implementing that provision until the authorization is
	granted.
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
	Act takes effect September 1, 2015.