HBA-SEP S.B. 1732 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1732
By: Cain
Economic Development
5/18/2001
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Child care management services vendors often place children in larger
facilities that can bear lower reimbursement rates even though these
facilities may not necessarily be convenient for the parents or best for
children.  Studies show that smaller, home-like environments are both more
conducive to learning and provide better continuity of care.  Senate Bill
1732 creates a pilot program under which child care is provided by
operators of eligible family homes to children under four years of age.   

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

Senate Bill 1732 amends the Government Code to require the Texas Workforce
Commission (TWC) to select one or more vendors to operate pilot programs in
three different areas of the state under which child care is provided by
operators of eligible family homes to children younger than four years of
age.  Each pilot program must include at least 10 operators of eligible
family homes.  At least one pilot program must be located in a rural area.
After selection of the vendors, each local workforce development board
(board) in an affected area of the state is required to administer and fund
the pilot program operating within that area, subject to guidelines
established by TWC.  TWC is required to select vendors based on a
competitive procurement process.  A vendor must have at least seven years
of relevant experience to be eligible to participate in a pilot program.
The bill requires a vendor selected to participate in a pilot program to
recruit eligible operators of family homes to participate in the program
and provide those eligible operators with training, mentoring, and other
support.  The bill sets forth eligibility requirements for a participating
family home.  TWC is prohibited from implementing the pilot programs in a
manner that in any way has the effect of limiting parental choice regarding
state-subsidized child care.  Not later than December 1 of each
evennumbered year, TWC is required to submit to the governor, lieutenant
governor, and speaker of the house of representatives a report on the pilot
programs.  The bill sets forth provisions regarding the report's content.
The pilot program provisions expire September 1, 2005.     

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.