Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB382 Compare Versions

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1	1	By: Van de Putte, Zaffirini S.B. No. 382
2	2	Uresti
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to a competitive grant program to fund promotion of early
8	8	literacy programs in certain communities in this state.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Chapter 73, Education Code, is amended by adding
11	11	Subchapter I to read as follows:
12	12	SUBCHAPTER I. COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE EARLY LITERACY
13	13	Sec. 73.601. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
14	14	(1) "Competitive grant program" means the competitive
15	15	grant program to promote early literacy established under this
16	16	subchapter.
17	17	(2) "Health care practitioner" has the meaning
18	18	assigned by Section 112.001, Occupations Code.
19	19	(3) "Health science center" means The University of
20	20	Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
21	21	(4) "Literacy program" means a program to promote
22	22	early literacy.
23	23	Sec. 73.602. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM TO
24	24	PROMOTE EARLY LITERACY. (a) The University of Texas Health
25	25	Science Center at Houston shall establish a competitive grant
26	26	program to promote early literacy through which the health science
27	27	center will award grants for the implementation of literacy
28	28	programs, or the expansion of existing programs, and for the
29	29	operation of those programs for a period of not less than two years.
30	30	(b) The health science center shall award grants under the
31	31	program to applicants, including applicants operating existing
32	32	programs, in a manner that ensures that the literacy programs
33	33	collectively:
34	34	(1) operate in multiple communities that are
35	35	geographically distributed throughout this state; and
36	36	(2) provide program services to approximately 50,000
37	37	children.
38	38	Sec. 73.603. LITERACY PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. (a) A
39	39	literacy program funded through a grant awarded under this
40	40	subchapter must:
41	41	(1) strictly adhere to the program model developed by
42	42	the Reach Out and Read National Center, including any clinical,
43	43	programmatic, and data collection requirements of that model;
44	44	(2) provide matching funds in an amount equal to the
45	45	amount of the grant funds awarded under this subchapter;
46	46	(3) require that health care practitioners volunteer
47	47	to:
48	48	(A) in conjunction with performing well-child
49	49	examinations, provide books to children and encourage parents to
50	50	read to their children to develop preliteracy skills;
51	51	(B) maintain waiting rooms that encourage
52	52	children to read; and
53	53	(C) provide services designed to increase the
54	54	school readiness of children receiving program services; and
55	55	(4) partner with local adult literacy providers to
56	56	encourage parent literacy in appropriate circumstances.
57	57	(b) Matching funds under Subsection (a)(2) may include
58	58	in-kind contributions.
59	59	Sec. 73.604. APPLICATION. (a) A public or private entity,
60	60	including a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of
61	61	this state, may apply for a grant under this subchapter.
62	62	(b) To apply for a grant, an applicant must submit a written
63	63	application to the health science center on a form prescribed by the
64	64	health science center in consultation with the Reach Out and Read
65	65	National Center.
66	66	Sec. 73.605. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS IN AWARDING GRANTS.
67	67	In addition to the factors described by Sections 73.602(b) and
68	68	73.603, in determining whether to award a grant to an applicant
69	69	under this subchapter, the health science center may consider:
70	70	(1) the demonstrated need for a literacy program in
71	71	the community in which the applicant proposes to operate or expand
72	72	the program, which the health science center shall determine by
73	73	considering:
74	74	(A) the poverty rate, the crime rate, the number
75	75	of births to Medicaid recipients, the rate of poor birth outcomes,
76	76	and the incidence of referrals of elementary school students for
77	77	remedial instruction or special education services, and of child
78	78	abuse and neglect, during a prescribed period in the community; and
79	79	(B) the need to enhance school readiness in the
80	80	community;
81	81	(2) the applicant's ability to participate in ongoing
82	82	monitoring and performance evaluations under Section 73.608,
83	83	including the applicant's ability to collect and provide
84	84	information requested by the health science center under Section
85	85	73.608(d);
86	86	(3) the applicant's ability to adhere to the literacy
87	87	program guidelines published under Section 73.606;
88	88	(4) the applicant's ability to develop broad-based
89	89	community support for implementing or expanding a literacy program,
90	90	as applicable; and
91	91	(5) the applicant's history of developing and
92	92	sustaining innovative, high-quality programs that meet the needs of
93	93	families and communities.
94	94	Sec. 73.606. LITERACY PROGRAM GUIDELINES. The health
95	95	science center, with the assistance of the Reach Out and Read
96	96	National Center, shall publish guidelines for the literacy programs
97	97	funded under this subchapter. The guidelines must adhere to the
98	98	Reach Out and Read national program model standards and guidelines
99	99	that have been tested and replicated in multiple communities.
100	100	Sec. 73.607. USE OF PROGRAM FUNDS. (a) In addition to
101	101	awarding grants under this subchapter, the health science center
102	102	may use program funds to:
103	103	(1) administer the competitive grant program; and
104	104	(2) purchase or contract to purchase discounted books
105	105	for use by grant recipients.
106	106	(b) A grant recipient may use grant funds awarded under this
107	107	subchapter only to cover costs related to implementing or expanding
108	108	and operating a literacy program, including costs related to:
109	109	(1) administering the literacy program;
110	110	(2) training and managing health care practitioners
111	111	who volunteer to participate in the literacy program; and
112	112	(3) purchasing or contracting to purchase discounted
113	113	books for use in the literacy program.
114	114	Sec. 73.608. PROGRAM MONITORING AND EVALUATION; ANNUAL
115	115	COMMITTEE REPORTS. (a) The health science center, with the
116	116	assistance of the Reach Out and Read National Center, shall publish
117	117	performance indicators that are designed to measure a grant
118	118	recipient's performance with respect to the literacy program
119	119	guidelines published under Section 73.606.
120	120	(b) The health science center shall:
121	121	(1) use the performance indicators published under
122	122	Subsection (a) to continuously monitor and formally evaluate on an
123	123	annual basis the performance of each grant recipient; and
124	124	(2) prepare and submit an annual report, not later
125	125	than December 1 of each year, to the Senate Committee on Education,
126	126	or its successor, and the House Public Education Committee, or its
127	127	successor, regarding the performance of each grant recipient during
128	128	the preceding state fiscal year with respect to providing literacy
129	129	program services.
130	130	(c) The report required under Subsection (b)(2) must
131	131	include:
132	132	(1) the number of low-income children receiving
133	133	literacy program services;
134	134	(2) the number of health care practitioners who
135	135	participate in the program and the estimated value of the services
136	136	provided by those practitioners under the program; and
137	137	(3) the extent to which each grant recipient adhered
138	138	to the Reach Out and Read national program model.
139	139	(d) On request, each grant recipient shall timely collect
140	140	and provide data and any other information required by the health
141	141	science center to monitor and evaluate the recipient or to prepare
142	142	the report required by this section.
143	143	Sec. 73.609. COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING. (a) The
144	144	health science center shall actively seek and apply for any
145	145	available federal funds to assist in financing the competitive
146	146	grant program established under this subchapter.
147	147	(b) The health science center may use appropriated funds
148	148	from the state government and may accept gifts, donations, grants
149	149	of money, and in-kind contributions from the federal government,
150	150	local governments, private corporations, or other persons to assist
151	151	in financing the competitive grant program.
152	152	SECTION 2. The University of Texas Health Science Center at
153	153	Houston shall:
154	154	(1) as soon as practicable, apply for any available
155	155	federal funds to assist in financing the competitive grant program
156	156	under Subchapter I, Chapter 73, Education Code, as added by this
157	157	Act, as required by Section 73.609, Education Code, as added by this
158	158	Act;
159	159	(2) not later than December 1, 2009, submit a report to
160	160	the Senate Committee on Education, or its successor, and the House
161	161	Public Education Committee, or its successor, regarding the
162	162	implementation and status of the competitive grant program required
163	163	by Subchapter I, Chapter 73, Education Code, as added by this Act;
164	164	(3) not later than September 1, 2010, establish and
165	165	implement the competitive grant program required by Subchapter I,
166	166	Chapter 73, Education Code, as added by this Act, and, with the
167	167	assistance of the Reach Out and Read National Center, publish the
168	168	guidelines required by Section 73.606, Education Code, as added by
169	169	this Act; and
170	170	(4) not later than December 1, 2011, submit the
171	171	initial annual report required by Subdivision (2), Subsection (b),
172	172	Section 73.608, Education Code, as added by this Act.
173	173	SECTION 3. This Act does not make an appropriation. A
174	174	provision in this Act that creates a new governmental program,
175	175	creates a new entitlement, or imposes a new duty on a governmental
176	176	entity is not mandatory during a fiscal period for which the
177	177	legislature has not made a specific appropriation to implement the
178	178	provision.
179	179	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.