Bill Text: TX HB3587 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to establishment of the Texas Early Learning Council.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-03-20 - Referred to Public Education [HB3587 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HB3587-Introduced.html
By: Strama | H.B. No. 3587 |
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relating to establishment of the Texas Early Learning Council. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 29, Education Code, is amended by adding | ||
Subchapter | ||
E-1 to read as follows: | ||
SUBCHAPTER E-1. TEXAS EARLY LEARNING COUNCIL | ||
Sec. 29.171. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "council" | ||
means the Texas Early Learning Council. | ||
Sec. 29.172. TEXAS EARLY LEARNING COUNCIL: ESTABLISHMENT | ||
AND PURPOSES. The Texas Early Learning Council is an advisory | ||
council established to improve school readiness in this state. | ||
Sec. 29.173. COMPOSITION AND ORGANIZATION. (a) The | ||
council is composed of 12 members as follows: | ||
(1) two members representing Head Start agencies in | ||
this state, including the director of the Texas Head Start State | ||
Collaboration Office and one member appointed by the governor; | ||
(2) one member representing the Department of Family | ||
and Protective Services, appointed by the commissioner of the | ||
Department of Family and Protective Services; | ||
(3) one member representing the Department of State | ||
Health Services, appointed by the commissioner of the Department of | ||
State Health Services; | ||
(4) one member representing the Department of | ||
Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, appointed by the | ||
commissioner of the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative | ||
Services; | ||
(5) one member representing the agency, appointed by | ||
the commissioner of education; | ||
(6) one member representing a school district in this | ||
state who has expertise in early childhood learning, appointed by | ||
the commissioner of education; | ||
(7) one member representing a public institution of | ||
higher education who teaches courses or engages in research | ||
concerning school readiness, appointed by the commissioner of | ||
higher education; | ||
(8) one member representing local providers of early | ||
childhood education and development services, appointed by the | ||
governor; | ||
(9) two members who have expertise in early childhood | ||
learning, appointed by the governor; and | ||
(10) one member representing parents of preschool | ||
students, appointed by the governor. | ||
(b) The members of the council annually shall elect one | ||
member to serve as the presiding officer. | ||
(c) Council meetings are held at the call of the presiding | ||
officer. | ||
(d) The council is administratively attached to the agency | ||
but is independent of direction by the agency or the commissioner of | ||
education. The agency shall provide administrative support and | ||
resources to the council as necessary to enable the council to | ||
perform its duties. | ||
(e) The agencies represented on the council shall provide | ||
periodic staff support of specialists as needed to the council. | ||
(f) The council is not subject to Chapter 2110, Government | ||
Code. | ||
Sec. 29.174. SUNSET PROVISION. The council is subject to | ||
Chapter 325, Government Code (Texas Sunset Act). Unless continued | ||
in existence as provided by that chapter, the council is abolished | ||
and this subchapter expires September 1, 2017. | ||
Sec. 29.175. DUTIES. (a) In an effort to improve the | ||
school readiness of young children in this state, the council | ||
shall: | ||
(1) develop effective, comprehensive standards for | ||
early childhood learning and school readiness that recognizes but | ||
may not be limited to the importance of literacy, numeracy, social | ||
and emotional development, and the physical health of children, | ||
including developing systems for rating and improving child-care | ||
and early childhood learning programs; | ||
(2) develop recommendations for outreach to and | ||
communication with parents and guardians of young children, | ||
including children in underrepresented or special populations, | ||
concerning the availability of and need and best practices for | ||
child care and early childhood learning, for the purpose of | ||
increasing the overall participation of children in existing | ||
federal, state, and local child-care and early childhood learning | ||
programs; | ||
(3) identify opportunities for and barriers to | ||
collaboration and coordination among federally funded and | ||
state-funded child development, child-care, and early childhood | ||
learning programs and services, including collaboration and | ||
coordination among state agencies responsible for administering | ||
such programs; | ||
(4) develop recommendations concerning statewide | ||
professional development, including career advancement, for early | ||
childhood educators; | ||
(5) provide recommendations concerning the | ||
establishment of a unified data collection system for public | ||
child-care and early childhood learning programs and services | ||
throughout this state; | ||
(6) conduct a periodic statewide needs assessment | ||
concerning the quality and availability of early childhood | ||
education and development programs and services for children from | ||
birth to school entry, including an assessment of the availability | ||
of high-quality prekindergarten services for educationally | ||
disadvantaged children in this state; and | ||
(7) assess the capacity and effectiveness of public | ||
and private institutions of higher education, including junior | ||
colleges, in supporting the preparation of early childhood | ||
educators, including the extent to which such institutions have in | ||
place articulation agreements, professional development and career | ||
advancement plans, and internships or similar opportunities for | ||
students to work in a Head Start or prekindergarten program. | ||
(b) The council shall hold public hearings and provide | ||
opportunities for public comment concerning the activities of the | ||
council, including the activities of the council in carrying out | ||
duties under Subsection (a). | ||
(c) Not later than November 1 of each year, the council | ||
shall submit to the governor, the legislature, and the director of | ||
the Texas Head Start State Collaboration Office a report concerning | ||
the activities of the council, including the activities of the | ||
council in carrying out duties under Subsection (a). | ||
Sec. 29.176. COORDINATOR. The commissioner of education | ||
shall coordinate the activities of the council. | ||
SECTION 2. 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, 2013. |