HBA-SEP C.S.H.B. 2673 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 2673 By: Villarreal, Mike Economic Development 4/22/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Federal law requires a state that receives child care and development block grant funds for a fiscal year to set aside not less than four percent of the funds for activities that are designed to provide comprehensive consumer education to parents and the general public, activities that increase parental choice, and activities designed to improve the quality and availability of child care such as resource and referral services. However, there is little accounting for the majority of allocated funds because it is spent by local workforce development boards rather than at the state level. C.S.H.B. 2673 requires the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to collect and assess state and local information relating to the effectiveness of the use of four percent quality dollars by local workforce development boards. 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 C.S.H.B. 2673 amends the Labor Code to require the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to collect state and local information relating to the effectiveness of the use of four percent quality dollars by local workforce development boards (boards). TWC is also required to produce a report that highlights promising practices in expanding quality early education and to report to the legislature and other interested persons on local programs and services that show promise in expanding access to quality early education. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. modifies the original to specify that the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is required to collect state and local information relating to the effectiveness of the use of four percent quality dollars by local workforce development boards (boards) rather than the workforce development services provided in this state. The substitute removes the provision that required TWC to assess the information collected and evaluate the effectiveness of the services, with particular emphasis on the extent to which boards are spending money allocated to the boards on quality programs. The substitute provides that TWC is required to produce a report that highlights promising practices in expanding quality early education.