The bill, S.B. No. 2071, aims to enhance the regulation of child-care facilities and registered family homes in Texas, particularly focusing on the provision of services to children with disabilities or special needs. Key amendments include the establishment of minimum standards that promote the health, safety, and welfare of children, while specifically prohibiting discrimination based on race or disability status. The bill introduces new provisions that allow child-care centers to deny services to children with disabilities only under certain conditions, such as if accommodating the child would pose an undue burden or a direct threat to health and safety, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Additionally, the bill mandates that child-care facilities maintain comprehensive records, including those for children with special needs, and requires them to provide parents with written disclosures about early childhood intervention resources and their policies on caring for children with disabilities. The executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission is tasked with adopting necessary rules to implement these changes, which are set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Human Resources Code 42.042, Human Resources Code 42.045 (Human Resources Code 42)