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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the duties of the Council on Children and Families. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 531.803(a), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) The council shall: |
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(1) analyze the biennial legislative appropriations |
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requests of members of the council for services provided to |
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children and their families and identify appropriations that, |
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through the coordination of members of the council, could be |
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modified in the next legislative appropriation request to eliminate |
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waste or increase available services and, not later than May 1 of |
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each even-numbered year, prepare a report recommending those |
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modifications for consideration during the development of the next |
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biennial legislative appropriations request; |
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(2) investigate opportunities to increase flexible |
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funding for health, education, and human services provided to |
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children and their families; |
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(3) identify methods to remove barriers to local |
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coordination of health, education, and human services provided to |
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children and their families; |
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(4) identify methods to ensure that children and youth |
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receive appropriate assessment, diagnoses, and intervention |
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services; |
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(5) develop methods to prevent unnecessary parental |
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relinquishment of custody of children; |
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(6) prioritize assisting children in family settings |
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rather than institutional settings; |
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(7) make recommendations about family involvement in |
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the provision and planning of health, education, and human services |
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for a child, including family partner and liaison models; [and] |
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(8) identify technological methods to ensure the |
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efficient and timely transfer of information among state agencies |
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providing health, education, and human services to children and |
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their families; and |
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(9) coordinate interagency grant or resource |
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development efforts to improve efficiencies and outcomes for |
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children and families, including possible dedication of staff to: |
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(A) assist individual health, education, human |
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services, juvenile justice, and workforce agencies to write or |
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develop interagency grants and coordinate resources; |
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(B) coordinate or lead interagency grant or |
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resource development efforts; and |
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(C) assist the council to facilitate interagency |
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resource and policy coordination. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |