Bill Text: TX HB77 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to a study of the Dallas Men Against Abuse program and other activities in the Dallas community addressing family violence.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-2)
Status: (Enrolled - Dead) 2015-06-19 - Effective immediately [HB77 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB77-Enrolled.html
| H.B. No. 77 | ||
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| relating to a study of the Dallas Men Against Abuse program and | ||
| other activities in the Dallas community addressing family | ||
| violence. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: | ||
| (1) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services | ||
| Commission. | ||
| (2) "Program" means the Dallas Men Against Abuse | ||
| program implemented by the City of Dallas. | ||
| SECTION 2. STUDY REQUIRED. (a) The Health and Human | ||
| Services Commission, in conjunction with a statewide coalition on | ||
| family violence, shall conduct a study of activities in the Dallas | ||
| community addressing family violence, with a specific focus on each | ||
| aspect of the Dallas Men Against Abuse program, to determine if any | ||
| or all of those activities or program aspects should be implemented | ||
| at the state level or in additional local communities or school | ||
| districts. | ||
| (b) In conducting the study, the commission and the | ||
| statewide coalition on family violence shall consult with: | ||
| (1) the City of Dallas Domestic Violence Task Force; | ||
| and | ||
| (2) a researcher with expertise on family violence who | ||
| is affiliated with an institution of higher education in this | ||
| state. | ||
| SECTION 3. CONTENTS OF STUDY. The study must: | ||
| (1) examine each aspect of the program; | ||
| (2) evaluate the effectiveness of each aspect of the | ||
| program and the effectiveness of other community activities that | ||
| contributed to changes in community responses to family violence, | ||
| based on indicators developed in consultation with family violence | ||
| experts, including the statewide coalition on family violence | ||
| conducting the study in conjunction with the commission and the | ||
| researcher described by Section 2(b)(2) of this Act; | ||
| (3) evaluate the effectiveness of the program in | ||
| increasing male involvement in addressing family violence; | ||
| (4) incorporate background information, such as the | ||
| number of calls made to domestic violence hotlines, the number of | ||
| prosecutions of offenses involving family violence, and the number | ||
| of charges filed in family violence cases, to provide context for | ||
| the issue of family violence in the Dallas community and this state; | ||
| (5) assess the costs associated with the program and | ||
| other community activities addressing family violence and sources | ||
| of funding; | ||
| (6) determine the feasibility of implementing any or | ||
| all of the program aspects or other community activities addressing | ||
| family violence at the state level or in additional local | ||
| communities or school districts; and | ||
| (7) make recommendations to the legislature regarding | ||
| implementing any or all of the program aspects or other community | ||
| activities addressing family violence at the state level or in | ||
| additional local communities or school districts. | ||
| SECTION 4. AGENCY PARTICIPATION AND COOPERATION. At the | ||
| request of the commission, the Department of Family and Protective | ||
| Services and each other health and human services agency under the | ||
| authority of the commission shall participate in the study and | ||
| provide appropriate assistance. The Texas Education Agency shall | ||
| cooperate with the commission as necessary to enable the commission | ||
| to assess the feasibility of implementing any or all of the program | ||
| aspects or other community activities addressing family violence in | ||
| school districts. | ||
| SECTION 5. REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2016, the | ||
| commission shall submit a report to the legislature regarding the | ||
| results of the study and the commission's recommendations regarding | ||
| expanded implementation of any or all program aspects or other | ||
| community activities addressing family violence. | ||
| SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. 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. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.B. No. 77 was passed by the House on April 9, | ||
| 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 130, Nays 13, 2 present, not | ||
| voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. | ||
| No. 77 on May 29, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 113, Nays 31, 2 | ||
| present, not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.B. No. 77 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
| amendments, on May 27, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays | ||
| 1. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: __________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| __________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
