HBA-CMT, CMT S.B. 1294 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1294
By: Van de Putte
Economic Development
5/7/2001
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Texas suffers from a widely recognized shortage of teachers in many
teaching fields, including the field of child care.  Efforts to retain
teachers may serve to alleviate this shortage.  Senate Bill 1294
establishes the Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H) pilot
program to assist teachers in retaining employment in the field of child
care.  

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 1294 amends the Labor Code to require the Texas Workforce
Commission (commission) to establish a pilot program to be known as the
Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H.) pilot program to
assist teachers in retaining employment in the field of child care.  The
bill authorizes the commission to consult with any other early childhood
teacher pilot program in establishing and administering the T.E.A.C.H.
program.  The bill requires the commission to operate the T.E.A.C.H.
program in at least three locations throughout the state, one in an urban
community, one in a rural community, and one in a community in the region
of the state that borders Mexico.  The bill sets forth that to be eligible
to participate in the T.E.A.C.H. program, a teacher must be employed in a
child-care program that has a provider agreement with a local workforce
development board to serve families that receive subsidized child-care
services.  The bill sets forth minimum standards for each location at which
the T.E.A.C.H. program is operated.  The bill requires the commission no
later than December 1 of each year to submit a report to the governor and
the legislature regarding the status and results of the T.E.A.C.H. pilot
program.  The provisions of the bill expire September 1, 2005. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.