Bill Text: TX HB2550 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment and duties of a task force to study and make recommendations on family support and parent education programs.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-05-15 - Referred to Health & Human Services [HB2550 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB2550-Engrossed.html
By: Thompson of Harris | H.B. No. 2550 |
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relating to the establishment and duties of a task force to study | ||
and make recommendations on family support and parent education | ||
programs. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 531, Government Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subchapter M to read as follows: | ||
SUBCHAPTER M. TASK FORCE ON FAMILY SUPPORT AND PARENT | ||
EDUCATION PROGRAMS | ||
Sec. 531.431. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "task force" | ||
means the task force on family support and parent education | ||
programs established under Section 531.432. | ||
Sec. 531.432. ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK FORCE. The task force | ||
on family support and parent education programs is established to | ||
advise the executive commissioner regarding: | ||
(1) the availability and quality of family support and | ||
parent education programs in this state; | ||
(2) expanding access in this state to family support | ||
and parent education programs of varying degrees of intensity; | ||
(3) using existing administrative and program data to | ||
identify and evaluate gaps in family support and parent education | ||
program curriculum and informing providers of family support and | ||
parent education programs of those gaps and of underserved | ||
geographic areas and populations; | ||
(4) developing policy recommendations for family | ||
support and parent education programs; | ||
(5) determining uniform desired outcomes for family | ||
support and parent education programs and establishing | ||
accountability standards relating to those outcomes; and | ||
(6) developing comprehensive statewide best practice | ||
guidelines for family support and parent education programs. | ||
Sec. 531.433. COMPOSITION OF TASK FORCE. The task force is | ||
composed of 17 members appointed by the executive commissioner as | ||
follows: | ||
(1) one representative of the commission; | ||
(2) one representative of a school readiness | ||
organization; | ||
(3) one representative of a child abuse and neglect | ||
prevention organization; | ||
(4) one representative of a parent education | ||
organization; | ||
(5) one representative of a mental health | ||
organization; | ||
(6) one representative of The University of Texas | ||
School of Public Health; | ||
(7) one representative of the prevention and early | ||
intervention program of the Department of Family and Protective | ||
Services; | ||
(8) one representative of the nurse-family | ||
partnership program of the commission; | ||
(9) one university-based research professional who | ||
has expertise in evaluating family support and parent education | ||
program outcomes; | ||
(10) one provider of evidence-based family support and | ||
parent education programs; | ||
(11) one representative from the Texas Education | ||
Agency; | ||
(12) one representative of a faith-based | ||
organization; | ||
(13) one medical professional with experience serving | ||
families; | ||
(14) one representative from the Texas State Advisory | ||
Council on Early Childhood Education and Care; | ||
(15) one representative of the business sector; | ||
(16) one representative of an organization that | ||
invests in family support and parent education programs; and | ||
(17) one representative of the probation and community | ||
services division of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. | ||
Sec. 531.434. PRESIDING OFFICER. The executive | ||
commissioner shall appoint a member of the task force to serve as | ||
presiding officer. | ||
Sec. 531.435. VACANCY. A vacancy on the task force shall be | ||
filled by appointment in the same manner as the original | ||
appointment. | ||
Sec. 531.436. MEETINGS. The task force shall meet at least | ||
quarterly at the call of the presiding officer. The task force | ||
shall meet at other times as determined by the presiding officer. | ||
Sec. 531.437. DUTIES. (a) The task force shall: | ||
(1) receive reports and testimony from individuals, | ||
state and local governmental agencies, community-based | ||
organizations, and other public and private organizations | ||
regarding family support and parent education programs; | ||
(2) identify family support and parent education | ||
programs that are being implemented in this state and describe for | ||
each program: | ||
(A) the scope of the program, both geographically | ||
and in terms of content; | ||
(B) whether the program is evidence-based; | ||
(C) the effectiveness of the program; and | ||
(D) the manner in which the program's | ||
effectiveness and outcomes are monitored; | ||
(3) develop a comprehensive strategy for increasing | ||
access by parents in this state to evidence-based family support | ||
and parent education programs of varying degrees of intensity; | ||
(4) assess this state's compliance with: | ||
(A) any applicable requirements that a family | ||
support and parent education program in which a parent participates | ||
under a court order or at the request of the child protective | ||
services division of the Department of Family and Protective | ||
Services be evidence-based; and | ||
(B) state funding allocation requirements for | ||
evidence-based family support and parent education programs; and | ||
(5) develop policy and other recommendations for: | ||
(A) expanding evidence-based family support and | ||
parent education programs; and | ||
(B) establishing comprehensive statewide best | ||
practice guidelines for family support and parent education | ||
programs. | ||
(b) In developing recommendations under Subsection (a)(5), | ||
the task force shall include recommendations regarding: | ||
(1) family support and parent education program | ||
funding in this state; | ||
(2) methods for using existing administrative and | ||
program data to: | ||
(A) identify populations in need of additional | ||
services; | ||
(B) identify long-term measures of program | ||
effectiveness; and | ||
(C) assess the performance of programs and | ||
relevant state agencies; and | ||
(3) appropriate programs for specific populations, | ||
including: | ||
(A) ethnic and racial minority populations; and | ||
(B) families exhibiting both low and high levels | ||
of risk factors, which include a preterm birth, poverty, having low | ||
parent educational attainment, having one or more teenage parents, | ||
having poor maternal health, and having parent unemployment or | ||
underemployment. | ||
Sec. 531.438. REPORT. (a) The task force shall prepare a | ||
report that includes: | ||
(1) a description of the activities of the task force; | ||
(2) the findings and recommendations of the task | ||
force, including recommendations described by Section | ||
531.437(a)(5); and | ||
(3) proposed legislation or recommendations or | ||
information on any other relevant matter that the task force | ||
considers appropriate. | ||
(b) Not later than December 1, 2016, the task force shall | ||
submit the report prepared under this section to the executive | ||
commissioner, the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of | ||
the house of representatives, and the presiding officers of the | ||
standing committees of the senate and house of representatives | ||
having primary jurisdiction over issues relating to family support | ||
and parent education. | ||
Sec. 531.439. RESPONSIBILITIES OF COMMISSION. (a) The | ||
commission shall provide reasonably necessary administrative and | ||
technical support to the task force. | ||
(b) The executive commissioner shall consider implementing | ||
the recommendations of the task force. If the executive | ||
commissioner proposes to adopt or amend a rule as a result of the | ||
recommendations of the task force, the executive commissioner shall | ||
seek input from the task force in developing the new or amended | ||
rule. | ||
Sec. 531.440. COMPENSATION; REIMBURSEMENT. Members of the | ||
task force serve without compensation and may not be reimbursed for | ||
travel or other expenses incurred while conducting the business of | ||
the task force. | ||
Sec. 531.441. APPLICABILITY OF OTHER LAW. Chapter 2110 | ||
does not apply to the task force. | ||
Sec. 531.442. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. The commission | ||
may accept on behalf of the task force a gift, grant, or donation | ||
from any source to carry out the purposes of this subchapter. | ||
Sec. 531.443. EXPIRATION. The task force is abolished and | ||
this subchapter expires September 1, 2017. | ||
SECTION 2. The executive commissioner of the Health and | ||
Human Services Commission shall appoint the members of the task | ||
force on family support and parent education programs in accordance | ||
with Subchapter M, Chapter 531, Government Code, as added by this | ||
Act, as soon as possible after the effective date of this Act. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |