Bill Text: TX HB2879 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to a competitive grant program to fund promotion of early literacy programs in certain communities in this state.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 2)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-05-14 - Referred to Education [HB2879 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB2879-Engrossed.html
| 86R17660 KFF-F | ||
| By: Raney | H.B. No. 2879 | |
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| relating to a competitive grant program to fund promotion of early | ||
| literacy programs in certain communities in this state. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 73, Education Code, is amended by adding | ||
| Subchapter J to read as follows: | ||
| SUBCHAPTER J. COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE EARLY LITERACY | ||
| Sec. 73.701. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: | ||
| (1) "Competitive grant program" means the competitive | ||
| grant program to promote early literacy established under this | ||
| subchapter. | ||
| (2) "Health care practitioner" has the meaning | ||
| assigned by Section 112.001, Occupations Code. | ||
| (3) "Health science center" means The University of | ||
| Texas Health Science Center at Houston. | ||
| (4) "Literacy program" means a program to promote | ||
| early literacy. | ||
| Sec. 73.702. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM TO | ||
| PROMOTE EARLY LITERACY. (a) Subject to Section 73.709, The | ||
| University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston shall | ||
| establish a competitive grant program to promote early literacy | ||
| through which the health science center will award grants for the | ||
| implementation of literacy programs, or the expansion of existing | ||
| programs, and for the operation of those programs for a period of | ||
| not less than two years. | ||
| (b) The health science center shall award grants under the | ||
| program to applicants, including applicants operating existing | ||
| programs, in a manner that ensures that the literacy programs | ||
| collectively operate in multiple communities that are | ||
| geographically distributed throughout this state. | ||
| Sec. 73.703. LITERACY PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. A literacy | ||
| program funded through a grant awarded under this subchapter must: | ||
| (1) consult and use as a guide the program model | ||
| developed by the Reach Out and Read National Center, including any | ||
| clinical, programmatic, and data collection requirements of that | ||
| model; | ||
| (2) require that health care practitioners who | ||
| participate in the literacy program: | ||
| (A) in conjunction with performing well-child | ||
| examinations, provide books to children and encourage parents to | ||
| read to their children to develop preliteracy skills; | ||
| (B) maintain waiting rooms that encourage | ||
| children to read; and | ||
| (C) provide services designed to increase the | ||
| school readiness of children receiving program services; and | ||
| (3) partner with local adult literacy providers to | ||
| encourage parent literacy in appropriate circumstances. | ||
| Sec. 73.704. APPLICATION. (a) A public or private entity, | ||
| including a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of | ||
| this state, may apply for a grant under this subchapter. | ||
| (b) To apply for a grant, an applicant must submit a written | ||
| application to the health science center on a form prescribed by the | ||
| health science center in consultation with the Reach Out and Read | ||
| National Center. | ||
| Sec. 73.705. LITERACY PROGRAM GUIDELINES. The health | ||
| science center, with the assistance of the Reach Out and Read | ||
| National Center, shall publish guidelines for the literacy programs | ||
| funded under this subchapter. The guidelines may follow the Reach | ||
| Out and Read national program model standards and guidelines that | ||
| have been tested and replicated in multiple communities. | ||
| Sec. 73.706. USE OF PROGRAM MONEY. (a) In addition to | ||
| awarding grants under this subchapter, the health science center | ||
| may use program money to: | ||
| (1) administer the competitive grant program; and | ||
| (2) purchase or contract to purchase discounted books | ||
| for use by grant recipients. | ||
| (b) A grant recipient may use grant money awarded under this | ||
| subchapter only to cover costs related to implementing or expanding | ||
| and operating a literacy program, including costs related to: | ||
| (1) administering the literacy program; | ||
| (2) training and managing health care practitioners | ||
| who volunteer to participate in the literacy program; and | ||
| (3) purchasing or contracting to purchase discounted | ||
| books for use in the literacy program. | ||
| Sec. 73.707. PROGRAM EVALUATION; BIENNIAL COMMITTEE | ||
| REPORTS. (a) The health science center, with the assistance of | ||
| the Reach Out and Read National Center, shall prepare and submit a | ||
| biennial report, not later than December 1 of each even-numbered | ||
| year, to the senate committee on education, or its successor, and | ||
| the house public education committee, or its successor, regarding | ||
| the grants awarded during the preceding two state fiscal years. | ||
| (b) The report required under Subsection (a) must include: | ||
| (1) the number of health care practitioners who | ||
| participate in the program; | ||
| (2) the number of children receiving literacy program | ||
| services as a result of the program; and | ||
| (3) the amount of each grant awarded to a health care | ||
| practitioner under the program. | ||
| (c) On request, each grant recipient shall timely collect | ||
| and provide data and any other information required by the health | ||
| science center to monitor and evaluate the program, including | ||
| recipient participation in the program, and to prepare the report | ||
| required by this section. | ||
| Sec. 73.708. COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING. (a) The | ||
| health science center shall actively seek and apply for any | ||
| available federal money to assist in financing the competitive | ||
| grant program established under this subchapter. | ||
| (b) To assist in financing the competitive grant program, | ||
| the health science center may: | ||
| (1) use appropriated money from the state government; | ||
| and | ||
| (2) accept gifts, donations, grants of money, and | ||
| in-kind contributions from the federal government, local | ||
| governments, private corporations, or other persons, provided that | ||
| the health science center implements the program in accordance with | ||
| the contingency under Section 73.709. | ||
| Sec. 73.709. APPROPRIATION CONTINGENCY. The health science | ||
| center is required to implement a provision of this subchapter only | ||
| if the legislature appropriates money specifically for that | ||
| purpose. If the legislature does not appropriate money | ||
| specifically for that purpose, the health science center may, but | ||
| is not required to, implement the provision using other money | ||
| available to the health science center for that purpose. | ||
| SECTION 2. The University of Texas Health Science Center at | ||
| Houston shall: | ||
| (1) as soon as practicable, apply for any available | ||
| federal money to assist in financing the competitive grant program | ||
| under Subchapter J, Chapter 73, Education Code, as added by this | ||
| Act, as required by Section 73.708, Education Code, as added by this | ||
| Act; and | ||
| (2) not later than December 1, 2022, submit a report to | ||
| the senate committee on education, or its successor, and the house | ||
| public education committee, or its successor, regarding the | ||
| implementation and status of the competitive grant program under | ||
| Subchapter J, Chapter 73, Education Code, as added by this Act. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. | ||
