State lawmakers are proposing House Bill 4113 to improve the safety of daycare centers after teachers and students died in a tragic crash.
SAN ANTONIO – State lawmakers hope to take the tragedy in December and turn it into meaningful law.
On December 19, 2024, a kindergarten teacher and her 1-year-old student were killed during a crash crash outside of Fair Oaks kindergarten after a holiday performance.
22-year-old Alexia Rosales died at the scene. One year old Mukhaya Amrani died after fighting for a life in a hospital.
Investigators believe the driver is experiencing a medical episode when he is slammed while being fenced in a play area where teachers and children gather.
Since the crash, Montessori and kindergarten have installed safety barriers to prevent future crashes.
Representative Ray Lopez said he was contacted by friends of the victim’s family. They wanted to do something to prevent this from happening again.
“This was very tragic,” Lopez said. “There is always something that can be done beyond prayer and pathetic dol.”
He spoke with child care community experts and came up with House Bill 4113, also known as the Amrani Rosales Safety Act.
“What we came up with was how we could get additional funding at daycare centres so we could provide safety assurances to our families,” Lopez said.
The bill will affect childcare centers participating in the Texas Rising Star program. Funding daycares that meet certain criteria. The proposed law awards a higher rating to the centres that set up barriers.
“We’re saying from the daycare centre this is a must-have and we’re offering additional dollars,” Lopez said. “We talked to them about the act, the points, and they said it was perfect, and that’s exactly what we’re trying to do.”
Lopez said it would take several weeks for the bill to be allocated to the committee. He then said he would work to ensure that hearings are scheduled as soon as possible.
“No one can imagine anyone who thinks this isn’t a good bill to move forward,” Lopez said.
Both families are expected to testify in Austin when the committee holds a hearing.
As far as the crash investigation is concerned, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office says it is still an aggressive investigation, and as of now, no charges have been filed.
