Bill Text: TX HB751 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to state agency authority to establish child-care subsidy programs.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-02-23 - Referred to Appropriations [HB751 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB751-Introduced.html
85R144 YDB-D | ||
By: Farrar | H.B. No. 751 |
|
||
|
||
relating to state agency authority to establish child-care subsidy | ||
programs. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 659, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 659.062 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 659.062. CHILD-CARE SUBSIDY PROGRAM. (a) A state | ||
agency using money appropriated to the agency by this state may | ||
establish a child-care subsidy program to assist the agency's lower | ||
income employees with their child-care costs. The assistance may be | ||
provided for full-time and part-time child care, before-school and | ||
after-school programs, and daytime summer programs. | ||
(b) Two or more state agencies in a multitenant building may | ||
establish a child-care subsidy program and share the program costs | ||
to provide employees of the agencies with child-care services | ||
through a child-care facility located in the building. | ||
(c) Except as provided by Subsection (d), a state agency may | ||
impose restrictions on the use of appropriated money for its | ||
child-care subsidy program based on employees' needs, the agency's | ||
staffing requirements, the local availability of child care, and | ||
other factors determined by the agency, including eligibility | ||
restrictions based on an employee's: | ||
(1) full-time or part-time employment status; | ||
(2) use of an on-site child-care facility; | ||
(3) use of full-time child care; or | ||
(4) use of child care in limited locations. | ||
(d) A state agency that establishes a child-care subsidy | ||
program under this section: | ||
(1) shall give preference for the payment of subsidies | ||
to agency employees who are veterans and who meet the program | ||
participation requirements under this section and agency rules; and | ||
(2) may not limit the payment of subsidies to only | ||
child-care facilities licensed by this state under Chapter 42, | ||
Human Resources Code. | ||
(e) Subject to any restriction established under Subsection | ||
(c) and any preference provided under Subsection (d)(1), an | ||
employee who qualifies as a lower income employee under a state | ||
agency's child-care subsidy program is eligible to receive a | ||
child-care subsidy for the care of each child under 13 years of age | ||
or, for a child with a disability, under 18 years of age. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |