Bill Text: TX SB1269 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the regulation of and federal funding for certain child-care providers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-04-29 - Left pending in committee [SB1269 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-SB1269-Introduced.html
By: West | S.B. No. 1269 | |
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relating to the regulation of and federal funding for certain | ||
child-care providers. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 42.0221, Human Resources Code, is | ||
amended by amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsections | ||
(e-1), (e-2), and (e-3) to read as follows: | ||
(a) The committee on licensing standards is composed of nine | ||
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(1) one member who operates a residential child-care | ||
facility licensed by the department; | ||
(2) one member who operates a child-placing agency | ||
licensed by the department; | ||
(3) one member who operates a licensed child-care | ||
facility that provides care for children for less than 24 hours a | ||
day; | ||
(4) one member who is a parent, guardian, or custodian | ||
of a child who uses a facility licensed by the department; | ||
(5) one member who is an expert in the field of child | ||
care and child development; [ |
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(6) two members employed by the department who work | ||
with facilities licensed by the department; and | ||
(7) two members who represent child advocacy | ||
organizations. | ||
(b) Members of the committee serve two-year terms, with the | ||
terms of [ |
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February 1 of each year. | ||
(e-1) The committee shall review and analyze nationwide | ||
best practices of child-care providers and other state standards | ||
related to staff-to-child ratios and group sizes applicable to | ||
nonresidential child-care facilities that provide care for less | ||
than 24 hours a day and make recommendations to the department for | ||
policy and statutory changes related to the ratios and group sizes. | ||
(e-2) From the recommendations provided under Subsection | ||
(e-1), the department shall annually reduce the staff-to-child | ||
ratios and group sizes applicable to nonresidential child-care | ||
facilities that provide care for less than 24 hours a day subject to | ||
the following limitations: | ||
(1) the reduced ratios and group sizes may not be | ||
higher than the ratios and group sizes in the department's proposed | ||
rules published in the Texas Register on June 11, 2010; | ||
(2) ratios may not be reduced by more than three | ||
children per each age group; and | ||
(3) the staff-to-child ratios for children ages 17 | ||
months of age and younger may not be reduced. | ||
(e-3) Subsection (e-2) and this subsection expire September | ||
1, 2020. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 302, Labor Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 302.0048 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 302.0048. FEDERAL MONEY FOR CHILD CARE. (a) In | ||
allocating federal grant money to local workforce development | ||
boards to purchase nonresidential child-care services from | ||
facilities that provide care for less than 24 hours a day, the | ||
commission shall authorize each board to increase the reimbursement | ||
rates for the child-care services to amounts the board determines | ||
affordable based on the total amount allocated to the board by the | ||
commission. | ||
(b) From the money allocated to a local workforce | ||
development board under Subsection (a), the board must reimburse | ||
the providers of nonresidential child-care services described by | ||
Subsection (a) at a rate equal to at least 85 percent of the average | ||
rate charged by the local providers of those services. | ||
(c) The commission may not establish a maximum rate of | ||
reimbursement by local workforce development boards for | ||
nonresidential child-care services described in this section. | ||
SECTION 3. Not later than October 1, 2015, the governor | ||
shall appoint the nine members to the committee on licensing | ||
standards as provided by Section 42.0221, Human Resources Code, as | ||
amended by this Act. The initial members of the committee on | ||
licensing standards appointed under this section shall draw lots to | ||
determine which members will serve terms expiring February 1, 2016, | ||
and which members will serve terms expiring February 1, 2017. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |