Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas House Bill HB1978 Compare Versions

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1	1	81R28091 JSC-D
2	2	By: Farias, et al. H.B. No. 1978
3	3	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1978:
4	4	By: Rose C.S.H.B. No. 1978
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the establishment of an evidence-based youth
10	10	development competitive grant pilot program.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act:
13	13	(1) "Adolescent" means a person who is at least 12
14	14	years of age but younger than 18 years of age.
15	15	(2) "Department" means the Department of Family and
16	16	Protective Services.
17	17	SECTION 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF EVIDENCE-BASED YOUTH
18	18	DEVELOPMENT COMPETITIVE GRANT PILOT PROGRAM. (a) The department
19	19	shall establish an evidence-based youth development competitive
20	20	grant pilot program to award grants for the implementation,
21	21	expansion, and operation of evidence-based youth development
22	22	programs designed to provide information and guidance for not more
23	23	than a total of 75 adolescents in making healthy and beneficial life
24	24	choices.
25	25	(b) The pilot program shall be located in Bexar County and
26	26	serve regions that are:
27	27	(1) located in zip codes in which the school-age birth
28	28	rate is at least three times the national school-age birth rate; and
29	29	(2) served by one or more school districts in which:
30	30	(A) at least 90 percent of the student population
31	31	is economically disadvantaged; and
32	32	(B) the annual dropout rate for grades 7 through
33	33	12 is greater than five percent.
34	34	SECTION 3. EVIDENCE-BASED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
35	35	REQUIREMENTS. (a) An evidence-based youth development program
36	36	funded through a grant awarded under this Act must:
37	37	(1) target adolescents who:
38	38	(A) are at risk of becoming pregnant or causing
39	39	an unplanned pregnancy or already have a child;
40	40	(B) are at risk of engaging in delinquent conduct
41	41	or conduct indicating a need for supervision, as those terms are
42	42	defined by Section 51.03, Family Code;
43	43	(C) are students at risk of dropping out of
44	44	school as defined by Section 29.081(d), Education Code;
45	45	(D) live in foster care or in a facility operated
46	46	by the state; or
47	47	(E) live in economically disadvantaged
48	48	circumstances;
49	49	(2) feature a curriculum that is appropriate for
50	50	adolescents and that has been demonstrated to reduce school dropout
51	51	and adolescent pregnancy rates;
52	52	(3) include a community service component of not fewer
53	53	than 20 hours;
54	54	(4) include at least one activity session or group
55	55	discussion each week; and
56	56	(5) cover a wide variety of developmental topics of
57	57	interest to adolescents, including:
58	58	(A) development of values and good judgment;
59	59	(B) communication and assertiveness;
60	60	(C) healthy relationships;
61	61	(D) influence of others and peer pressure;
62	62	(E) goal-setting;
63	63	(F) decision-making;
64	64	(G) development and human sexuality;
65	65	(H) preparation for participation in community
66	66	service activities;
67	67	(I) community service learning; and
68	68	(J) group reflection on community service
69	69	experiences.
70	70	(b) An evidence-based youth development program that
71	71	receives a grant under this Act must use grant funding to operate
72	72	during a nine-month period beginning not earlier than August 1,
73	73	2010, and not later than September 30, 2010.
74	74	SECTION 4. APPLICATION. (a) A public or private entity,
75	75	including a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of
76	76	this state, may apply for a grant under this Act by submitting a
77	77	written application to the department on a form prescribed by the
78	78	department.
79	79	(b) The application prescribed by the department must:
80	80	(1) require the applicant to provide data on the
81	81	number of adolescents who will receive assistance through the
82	82	program;
83	83	(2) describe the ongoing monitoring and evaluation
84	84	process to which a grant recipient is subject, including the
85	85	recipient's obligation to collect and provide information
86	86	requested by the department; and
87	87	(3) require the applicant to provide other relevant
88	88	information as determined by the department.
89	89	SECTION 5. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS IN AWARDING GRANTS.
90	90	In determining whether to award a grant under this Act, the
91	91	department shall consider:
92	92	(1) the applicant's ability to:
93	93	(A) participate in ongoing monitoring and
94	94	performance evaluations, including the applicant's ability to
95	95	collect and provide information required by the department;
96	96	(B) adhere to the evidence-based youth
97	97	development program operating and performance standards; and
98	98	(C) develop broad-based community support for
99	99	implementing or expanding an evidence-based youth development
100	100	program, as applicable; and
101	101	(2) the applicant's history of developing and
102	102	sustaining innovative, high-quality programs that meet the needs of
103	103	families and communities.
104	104	SECTION 6. EVIDENCE-BASED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
105	105	STANDARDS. The commissioner of the department, in accordance with
106	106	the goals and requirements established by this Act, shall adopt
107	107	standards for an evidence-based youth development program awarded a
108	108	grant under this Act.
109	109	SECTION 7. USE OF AWARDED GRANT FUNDS. The grant funds
110	110	awarded under this Act may be used only to cover costs related to
111	111	implementing, expanding, or operating an evidence-based youth
112	112	development program during a nine-month period beginning not
113	113	earlier than August 1, 2010, and not later than September 30, 2010,
114	114	including costs related to:
115	115	(1) administering the program, including:
116	116	(A) appropriate local site selection; and
117	117	(B) required evaluation and quality monitoring;
118	118	(2) training and managing staff;
119	119	(3) paying staff salaries and expenses; and
120	120	(4) paying for program facilities and equipment.
121	121	SECTION 8. EVIDENCE-BASED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
122	122	MONITORING AND EVALUATION; COMMITTEE REPORT. (a) The commissioner
123	123	of the department shall adopt performance indicators designed to
124	124	measure a grant recipient's performance with respect to the
125	125	evidence-based youth development program standards adopted by the
126	126	commissioner under Section 6 of this Act.
127	127	(b) The department shall use the performance indicators to
128	128	monitor and evaluate the performance of each grant recipient.
129	129	(c) Not later than November 1, 2011, the department shall
130	130	submit a report to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee,
131	131	or its successor, and the House Human Services Committee, or its
132	132	successor, regarding the performance of each grant recipient with
133	133	respect to providing evidence-based youth development program
134	134	services, including:
135	135	(1) the number of low-income adolescents served by an
136	136	evidence-based youth development program and, of that number, the
137	137	number of adolescents who subsequently became pregnant or caused a
138	138	pregnancy; and
139	139	(2) any other information required by the department.
140	140	(d) On request, each grant recipient shall timely collect
141	141	and provide data and any other information required by the
142	142	department to monitor and evaluate the recipient or to prepare the
143	143	report required by this section.
144	144	SECTION 9. EVIDENCE-BASED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT COMPETITIVE
145	145	GRANT PILOT PROGRAM FUNDING. (a) The department may actively seek
146	146	and apply for any available federal funds or grants from any source
147	147	to assist in financing the competitive grant pilot program
148	148	established under this Act.
149	149	(b) The department may use appropriated funds and may accept
150	150	gifts, donations, and grants of money from the federal government,
151	151	local governments, private corporations, or other persons to assist
152	152	in financing the competitive grant pilot program.
153	153	SECTION 10. EXPIRATION. This Act expires December 31,
154	154	2011.
155	155	SECTION 11. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect
156	156	September 1, 2009.