HBA-EDN, SEP H.B. 2074 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2074 By: Martinez Fischer Economic Development 3/13/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE There is a shortage of child care in this state and across the country. In particular, many economically disadvantaged and rural areas lack access to child care facilities. Welfare reform is also contributing to growing child care needs as more people are transitioning from welfare to work. To comply with federal welfare reform laws, Texas is incrementally lowering the age of the youngest child for which a caretaker is temporarily exempted from employment obligations. By September 2001, only caretakers with a child under the age of one will be exempt from employment obligations. Other factors contributing to the state's growing child care needs include the increase of single-parent households and growing employment rates. House Bill 2074 requires the Texas Workforce Commission to conduct a study of ways to increase the supply of child care providers in this state. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 2074 sets forth law to require the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to conduct a study of means by which this state may act to increase the supply of childcare workers in this state. The bill requires TWC to give special consideration to the needs for child care services of parents involved with welfare-to-work programs or similar services of TWC and other state agencies. The bill also requires TWC to include in the study an analysis of proposed or experimental programs TWC considers to have merit and the efforts of other states in this regard. The bill further requires TWC to report the study findings to the governor, lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives not later than September 1, 2002, and sets forth specifications for the contents of the report. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, of if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001.