The bill, S.B. No. 42, aims to provide free full-day prekindergarten for certain children in Texas by amending existing provisions in the Education Code. Key changes include the requirement for school districts to offer prekindergarten classes to any child who is at least four years old, rather than only to those districts that identify a minimum of 15 eligible children. Additionally, the eligibility criteria for enrollment have been expanded to include children who are at least three years old and meet specific conditions, such as being educationally disadvantaged, homeless, or the child of an active duty military member. The bill also stipulates that no tuition can be charged for these prekindergarten classes.

Further amendments clarify that prekindergarten classes must be operated on a full-day basis for children who are at least four years old, and it removes the previous provision allowing half-day classes for younger children. The bill mandates that school districts report demographic information and other relevant data regarding their prekindergarten programs to the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS). The provisions of this act will take effect starting with the 2025-2026 school year, and it will be enacted immediately if it receives a two-thirds majority vote in both houses of the legislature.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 29.1531, Education Code 29.1532 (Education Code 29)