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Senate adopts bill to create governor’s task force on early childhood governance, adds standards and fiscal‑note protections
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Summary
Senators passed House Bill 117 to establish a governor's task force administratively attached to the Texas Education Agency to study governance and coordination of early childhood education and care, and adopted two floor amendments addressing program standards and fiscal‑note protections.
The Texas Senate passed House Bill 117 to establish a governor’s task force on the governance of early childhood education and care, Senator Campbell said on the floor.
The task force, administratively attached to the Texas Education Agency (TEA), is charged with studying and recommending reforms to improve coordination and delivery of early childhood programs across TEA, the Health and Human Services Commission, and the Texas Workforce Commission. Senator Campbell said she would offer two amendments; the first directs the task force to develop and recommend standards for high‑quality prekindergarten programs, including programs under a specified Education Code subchapter, and the second addresses fiscal notes by ensuring that any fiscal note not appropriated is addressed within budgetary processes.
Both amendments were presented as acceptable to the author and were adopted without objection. The bill passed third reading and final passage in the Senate; the transcript records 25 ayes and 6 nays on third reading and the same tally on final passage. Sponsor remarks emphasized coordination between state agencies and clarifying standards for early childhood programs.
