A state lawmaker proposes House Bill 4113 to enhance safety at daycare centers after a tragic crash killed a teacher and student.
SAN ANTONIO — A state lawmaker is hoping to take a tragedy in December and turn it into meaningful legislation.
On Dec. 19, 2024, a preschool teacher and her one-year-old student were killed during a crash outside the Fair Oaks preschool following a holiday performance.
22-year-old Alexia Rosales died at the scene. While 1-year-old, Mkaya Amrani died after fighting for her life in the hospital.
Investigators believe a driver was experiencing a medical episode when they slammed into a fenced in play area where teachers and children were gathered.
Since the crash, the Montessori Plus Preschool installed safety barriers to prevent future crashes.
Representative Ray Lopez said he was reached out to by friends of the victim’s families. They wanted to do something to prevent this from happening again.
“This was so tragic,” Lopez said. “There’s always something more you can do beyond just prayers and condolences.”
He spoke with experts in the childcare community and came up with House Bill 4113, also known as the Amrani-Rosales Safety Act.
“What we came up with was quite honestly a way to get additional funding for daycare centers to be able to provide a safety assurance for families,” Lopez said.
The bill would impact childcare centers that are participating in the Texas Rising Star Program. It provides funding for daycares that meet certain criteria. The proposed legislation would award a higher rating to centers that install the barriers.
“We’ve gotten calls from daycare centers saying, is this going to be mandatory, are y’all providing additional dollars,” Lopez said. “We told them about the act, the points and they said that’s perfect. That’s exactly what we’re trying to do.”
Lopez said it will be a few weeks until the bill gets assigned to a committee. Then, he said he is going to work to make sure a hearing is scheduled as soon as possible.
“I cannot imagine anyone thinking this is not a good bill to move forward,” Lopez said.
Both families are expected to testify in Austin once a committee does host a hearing.
As far as the investigation into the crash, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said it is still an active investigation and as of right now, no charges have been filed.