Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas House Bill HB429 Compare Versions

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1	1	81R26795 KFF-F
2	2	By: King of Taylor H.B. No. 429
3	3	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 429:
4	4	By: Berman C.S.H.B. No. 429
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to a competitive grant program to fund promotion of early
10	10	literacy programs in certain communities in this state.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Chapter 73, Education Code, is amended by adding
13	13	Subchapter I to read as follows:
14	14	SUBCHAPTER I. COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE EARLY LITERACY
15	15	Sec. 73.601. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
16	16	(1) "Competitive grant program" means the competitive
17	17	grant program to promote early literacy established under this
18	18	subchapter.
19	19	(2) "Health care practitioner" has the meaning
20	20	assigned by Section 112.001, Occupations Code.
21	21	(3) "Health science center" means The University of
22	22	Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
23	23	(4) "Literacy program" means a program to promote
24	24	early literacy.
25	25	Sec. 73.602. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM TO
26	26	PROMOTE EARLY LITERACY. (a) The University of Texas Health Science
27	27	Center at Houston shall establish a competitive grant program to
28	28	promote early literacy through which the health science center will
29	29	award grants for the implementation of literacy programs, or the
30	30	expansion of existing programs, and for the operation of those
31	31	programs for a period of not less than two years.
32	32	(b) The health science center shall award grants under the
33	33	program to applicants, including applicants operating existing
34	34	programs, in a manner that ensures that the literacy programs
35	35	collectively:
36	36	(1) operate in multiple communities that are
37	37	geographically distributed throughout this state; and
38	38	(2) provide program services to approximately 50,000
39	39	children.
40	40	Sec. 73.603. LITERACY PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. (a) A
41	41	literacy program funded through a grant awarded under this
42	42	subchapter must:
43	43	(1) strictly adhere to the program model developed by
44	44	the Reach Out and Read National Center, including any clinical,
45	45	programmatic, and data collection requirements of that model;
46	46	(2) provide matching funds in an amount equal to the
47	47	amount of the grant funds awarded under this subchapter;
48	48	(3) require that health care practitioners volunteer
49	49	to:
50	50	(A) in conjunction with performing well-child
51	51	examinations, provide books to children and encourage parents to
52	52	read to their children to develop preliteracy skills;
53	53	(B) maintain waiting rooms that encourage
54	54	children to read; and
55	55	(C) provide services designed to increase the
56	56	school readiness of children receiving program services; and
57	57	(4) partner with local adult literacy providers to
58	58	encourage parent literacy in appropriate circumstances.
59	59	(b) Matching funds under Subsection (a)(2) may include
60	60	in-kind contributions.
61	61	Sec. 73.604. APPLICATION. (a) A public or private entity,
62	62	including a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of
63	63	this state, may apply for a grant under this subchapter.
64	64	(b) To apply for a grant, an applicant must submit a written
65	65	application to the health science center on a form prescribed by the
66	66	health science center in consultation with the Reach Out and Read
67	67	National Center.
68	68	Sec. 73.605. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS IN AWARDING GRANTS.
69	69	In addition to the factors described by Sections 73.602(b) and
70	70	73.603, in determining whether to award a grant to an applicant
71	71	under this subchapter, the health science center may consider:
72	72	(1) the demonstrated need for a literacy program in
73	73	the community in which the applicant proposes to operate or expand
74	74	the program, which the health science center shall determine by
75	75	considering:
76	76	(A) the poverty rate, the crime rate, the number
77	77	of births to Medicaid recipients, the rate of poor birth outcomes,
78	78	and the incidence of referrals of elementary school students for
79	79	remedial instruction or special education services, and of child
80	80	abuse and neglect, during a prescribed period in the community; and
81	81	(B) the need to enhance school readiness in the
82	82	community;
83	83	(2) the applicant's ability to participate in ongoing
84	84	monitoring and performance evaluations under Section 73.608,
85	85	including the applicant's ability to collect and provide
86	86	information requested by the health science center under Section
87	87	73.608(d);
88	88	(3) the applicant's ability to adhere to the literacy
89	89	program guidelines published under Section 73.606;
90	90	(4) the applicant's ability to develop broad-based
91	91	community support for implementing or expanding a literacy program,
92	92	as applicable; and
93	93	(5) the applicant's history of developing and
94	94	sustaining innovative, high-quality programs that meet the needs of
95	95	families and communities.
96	96	Sec. 73.606. LITERACY PROGRAM GUIDELINES. The health
97	97	science center, with the assistance of the Reach Out and Read
98	98	National Center, shall publish guidelines for the literacy programs
99	99	funded under this subchapter. The guidelines must adhere to the
100	100	Reach Out and Read national program model standards and guidelines
101	101	that have been tested and replicated in multiple communities.
102	102	Sec. 73.607. USE OF PROGRAM FUNDS. (a) In addition to
103	103	awarding grants under this subchapter, the health science center
104	104	may use program funds to:
105	105	(1) administer the competitive grant program; and
106	106	(2) purchase or contract to purchase discounted books
107	107	for use by grant recipients.
108	108	(b) A grant recipient may use grant funds awarded under this
109	109	subchapter only to cover costs related to implementing or expanding
110	110	and operating a literacy program, including costs related to:
111	111	(1) administering the literacy program;
112	112	(2) training and managing health care practitioners
113	113	who volunteer to participate in the literacy program; and
114	114	(3) purchasing or contracting to purchase discounted
115	115	books for use in the literacy program.
116	116	Sec. 73.608. PROGRAM MONITORING AND EVALUATION; ANNUAL
117	117	COMMITTEE REPORTS. (a) The health science center, with the
118	118	assistance of the Reach Out and Read National Center, shall publish
119	119	performance indicators that are designed to measure a grant
120	120	recipient's performance with respect to the literacy program
121	121	guidelines published under Section 73.606.
122	122	(b) The health science center shall:
123	123	(1) use the performance indicators published under
124	124	Subsection (a) to continuously monitor and formally evaluate on an
125	125	annual basis the performance of each grant recipient; and
126	126	(2) prepare and submit an annual report, not later
127	127	than December 1 of each year, to the Senate Education Committee, or
128	128	its successor, and the House Public Education Committee, or its
129	129	successor, regarding the performance of each grant recipient during
130	130	the preceding state fiscal year with respect to providing literacy
131	131	program services.
132	132	(c) The report required under Subsection (b)(2) must
133	133	include:
134	134	(1) the number of low-income children receiving
135	135	literacy program services;
136	136	(2) the number of health care practitioners who
137	137	participate in the program and the estimated value of the services
138	138	provided by those practitioners under the program; and
139	139	(3) the extent to which each grant recipient adhered
140	140	to the Reach Out and Read national program model.
141	141	(d) On request, each grant recipient shall timely collect
142	142	and provide data and any other information required by the health
143	143	science center to monitor and evaluate the recipient or to prepare
144	144	the report required by this section.
145	145	Sec. 73.609. COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING. (a) The
146	146	health science center shall actively seek and apply for any
147	147	available federal funds to assist in financing the competitive
148	148	grant program established under this subchapter.
149	149	(b) The health science center may use appropriated funds
150	150	from the state government and may accept gifts, donations, grants
151	151	of money, and in-kind contributions from the federal government,
152	152	local governments, private corporations, or other persons to assist
153	153	in financing the competitive grant program.
154	154	SECTION 2. The University of Texas Health Science Center at
155	155	Houston shall:
156	156	(1) as soon as practicable, apply for any available
157	157	federal funds to assist in financing the competitive grant program
158	158	under Subchapter I, Chapter 73, Education Code, as added by this
159	159	Act, as required by Section 73.609, Education Code, as added by this
160	160	Act;
161	161	(2) not later than December 1, 2009, submit a report to
162	162	the Senate Education Committee, or its successor, and the House
163	163	Public Education Committee, or its successor, regarding the
164	164	implementation and status of the competitive grant program required
165	165	by Subchapter I, Chapter 73, Education Code, as added by this Act;
166	166	(3) not later than September 1, 2010, establish and
167	167	implement the competitive grant program required by Subchapter I,
168	168	Chapter 73, Education Code, as added by this Act, and, with the
169	169	assistance of the Reach Out and Read National Center, publish the
170	170	guidelines required by Section 73.606, Education Code, as added by
171	171	this Act; and
172	172	(4) not later than December 1, 2011, submit the
173	173	initial annual report required by Section 73.608(b)(2), Education
174	174	Code, as added by this Act.
175	175	SECTION 3. This Act does not make an appropriation. A
176	176	provision in this Act that creates a new governmental program,
177	177	creates a new entitlement, or imposes a new duty on a governmental
178	178	entity is not mandatory during a fiscal period for which the
179	179	legislature has not made a specific appropriation to implement the
180	180	provision.
181	181	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.