Bill Text: TX HB709 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a study conducted by Texas A&M University on services for children and families available in rural counties for children in the managing conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-02-20 - Referred to Human Services [HB709 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB709-Introduced.html
85R4478 GCB-D | ||
By: Wu | H.B. No. 709 |
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relating to a study conducted by Texas A&M University on services | ||
for children and families available in rural counties for children | ||
in the managing conservatorship of the Department of Family and | ||
Protective Services. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. (a) In this section: | ||
(1) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services | ||
Commission. | ||
(2) "Department" means the Department of Family and | ||
Protective Services. | ||
(3) "Rural county" means a county with a population of | ||
less than 50,000. | ||
(4) "Services for children and families" includes | ||
mental health services, medical services, specialized medical | ||
services, and child protective services. | ||
(b) The board of regents of The Texas A&M University System | ||
shall designate a department or entity at Texas A&M University to | ||
conduct a study on services for children and families available to | ||
be provided in rural counties to children in the managing | ||
conservatorship of the department and to the parents of those | ||
children. The study must: | ||
(1) determine what types of services for children and | ||
families are available to the children and parents in rural | ||
counties; | ||
(2) determine the number of clinics, physicians, and | ||
other service providers that are available to provide services for | ||
children and families to children and parents in rural counties; | ||
(3) determine the number of clinics, offices of | ||
physicians, and other providers of services for children and | ||
families in rural counties that have closed in the preceding five | ||
years; | ||
(4) propose actions the commission and department can | ||
take to address any shortage in the provision of services for | ||
children and families to children and parents in rural counties, | ||
including: | ||
(A) the provision of services through | ||
telemedicine medical services and telehealth services in rural | ||
counties; | ||
(B) partnerships between the commission or | ||
department and institutions of higher education to provide services | ||
in rural counties; and | ||
(C) incentives offered by the commission or | ||
department to service providers for providing services in rural | ||
counties; and | ||
(5) make recommendations to the legislature for | ||
increasing the quality and quantity of services provided to the | ||
children and parents in rural counties. | ||
(c) The department or entity at Texas A&M University | ||
designated by the board of regents to conduct the study shall | ||
provide the study results and recommendations to the governor, | ||
lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and | ||
each member of the legislature not later than December 1, 2018. | ||
(d) This section expires September 1, 2019. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |