Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB591 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	81R5542 JSC-D
2	2	By: Van de Putte S.B. No. 591
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the establishment of an evidence-based youth
8	8	development competitive grant pilot program.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Chapter 531, Government Code, is amended by
11	11	adding Subchapter S to read as follows:
12	12	SUBCHAPTER S. EVIDENCE-BASED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT COMPETITIVE GRANT
13	13	PILOT PROGRAM
14	14	Sec. 531.751. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "adolescent"
15	15	means a person who is at least 12 years of age but younger than 18
16	16	years of age.
17	17	Sec. 531.752. ESTABLISHMENT OF EVIDENCE-BASED YOUTH
18	18	DEVELOPMENT COMPETITIVE GRANT PILOT PROGRAM. (a) The commission
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 75 adolescents in making healthy and beneficial life choices.
24	24	(b) The pilot program shall be located in Bexar County and
25	25	serve regions that are:
26	26	(1) located in zip codes in which the school-age birth
27	27	rate is at least three times the national school-age birth rate; and
28	28	(2) served by one or more school districts in which:
29	29	(A) at least 90 percent of the student population
30	30	is economically disadvantaged; and
31	31	(B) the annual dropout rate for grades 7 through
32	32	12 is greater than five percent.
33	33	Sec. 531.753. EVIDENCE-BASED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
34	34	REQUIREMENTS. (a) An evidence-based youth development program
35	35	funded through a grant awarded under this subchapter must:
36	36	(1) target adolescents who:
37	37	(A) are at risk of becoming pregnant or causing
38	38	an unplanned pregnancy or already have a child;
39	39	(B) are at risk of engaging in delinquent conduct
40	40	or conduct indicating a need for supervision, as those terms are
41	41	defined by Section 51.03, Family Code;
42	42	(C) are at risk of dropping out of school;
43	43	(D) live in foster care or in a facility operated
44	44	by the state; or
45	45	(E) live in economically disadvantaged
46	46	circumstances;
47	47	(2) feature a curriculum that is appropriate for
48	48	adolescents and that has been demonstrated to reduce school dropout
49	49	and adolescent pregnancy rates;
50	50	(3) include a community service component of not fewer
51	51	than 20 hours each year;
52	52	(4) include at least one activity session or group
53	53	discussion each week; and
54	54	(5) cover a wide variety of developmental topics of
55	55	interest to adolescents, including:
56	56	(A) development of values and good judgment;
57	57	(B) communication and assertiveness;
58	58	(C) healthy relationships;
59	59	(D) influence of others and peer pressure;
60	60	(E) goal-setting;
61	61	(F) decision-making;
62	62	(G) development and human sexuality;
63	63	(H) preparation for participation in community
64	64	service activities;
65	65	(I) community service learning; and
66	66	(J) group reflection on community service
67	67	experiences.
68	68	(b) An evidence-based youth development program must
69	69	operate for not less than nine months or an academic school year.
70	70	Sec. 531.754. APPLICATION. (a) A public or private entity,
71	71	including a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of
72	72	this state, may apply for a grant under this subchapter by
73	73	submitting a written application to the commission on a form
74	74	prescribed by the commission.
75	75	(b) The application prescribed by the commission must:
76	76	(1) require the applicant to provide data on the
77	77	number of adolescents who will receive assistance through the
78	78	program;
79	79	(2) describe the ongoing monitoring and evaluation
80	80	process to which a grant recipient is subject, including the
81	81	recipient's obligation to collect and provide information
82	82	requested by the commission; and
83	83	(3) require the applicant to provide other relevant
84	84	information as determined by the commission.
85	85	Sec. 531.755. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS IN AWARDING
86	86	GRANTS. In determining whether to award a grant under this
87	87	subchapter, the commission shall consider:
88	88	(1) the demonstrated need for an evidence-based youth
89	89	development program in the community in which the applicant
90	90	proposes to operate or expand the program, as determined by:
91	91	(A) the poverty rate;
92	92	(B) the crime rate;
93	93	(C) the school-age birth rate;
94	94	(D) the rate of drug and alcohol abuse; and
95	95	(E) the annual dropout rate for grades 7 through
96	96	12;
97	97	(2) the applicant's ability to participate in ongoing
98	98	monitoring and performance evaluations, including the applicant's
99	99	ability to collect and provide information required by the
100	100	commission;
101	101	(3) the applicant's ability to adhere to the
102	102	evidence-based youth development program operating and performance
103	103	standards;
104	104	(4) the applicant's ability to develop broad-based
105	105	community support for implementing or expanding an evidence-based
106	106	youth development program, as applicable; and
107	107	(5) the applicant's history of developing and
108	108	sustaining innovative, high-quality programs that meet the needs of
109	109	families and communities.
110	110	Sec. 531.756. EVIDENCE-BASED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
111	111	STANDARDS. The executive commissioner, in accordance with the
112	112	goals and requirements established by this subchapter, shall adopt
113	113	standards for an evidence-based youth development program awarded a
114	114	grant under this subchapter.
115	115	Sec. 531.757. USE OF AWARDED GRANT FUNDS. The grant funds
116	116	awarded under this subchapter may be used only to cover costs
117	117	related to implementing, expanding, or operating an evidence-based
118	118	youth development program, including costs related to:
119	119	(1) administering the program, including:
120	120	(A) appropriate local site selection; and
121	121	(B) required evaluation and quality monitoring;
122	122	(2) training and managing staff;
123	123	(3) paying staff salaries and expenses; and
124	124	(4) paying for program facilities and equipment.
125	125	Sec. 531.758. EVIDENCE-BASED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
126	126	MONITORING AND EVALUATION; COMMITTEE REPORT. (a) The executive
127	127	commissioner shall adopt performance indicators designed to
128	128	measure a grant recipient's performance with respect to the
129	129	evidence-based youth development program standards adopted by the
130	130	executive commissioner under Section 531.756.
131	131	(b) The commission shall use the performance indicators to
132	132	monitor and evaluate the performance of each grant recipient.
133	133	(c) Not later than December 1, 2010, the commission shall
134	134	submit a report to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee,
135	135	or its successor, and the House Human Services Committee, or its
136	136	successor, regarding the performance of each grant recipient with
137	137	respect to providing evidence-based youth development program
138	138	services, including:
139	139	(1) the number of low-income adolescents served by an
140	140	evidence-based youth development program and, of that number, the
141	141	number of adolescents who subsequently became pregnant or caused a
142	142	pregnancy; and
143	143	(2) any other information required by the commission.
144	144	(d) On request, each grant recipient shall timely collect
145	145	and provide data and any other information required by the
146	146	commission to monitor and evaluate the recipient or to prepare the
147	147	report required by this section.
148	148	Sec. 531.759. EVIDENCE-BASED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT COMPETITIVE
149	149	GRANT PILOT PROGRAM FUNDING. (a) The commission shall actively
150	150	seek and apply for any available federal funds or grants from any
151	151	source to assist in financing the competitive grant pilot program
152	152	established under this subchapter.
153	153	(b) The commission may use appropriated funds and may accept
154	154	gifts, donations, and grants of money from the federal government,
155	155	local governments, private corporations, or other persons to assist
156	156	in financing the competitive grant pilot program.
157	157	Sec. 531.760. EXPIRATION. This subchapter expires
158	158	September 1, 2011.
159	159	SECTION 2. (a) The Health and Human Services Commission
160	160	shall, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act,
161	161	apply for any available funds or grants to assist in financing the
162	162	evidence-based youth development competitive grant pilot program
163	163	created by this Act.
164	164	(b) Not later than December 1, 2009, the Health and Human
165	165	Services Commission shall establish and implement the
166	166	evidence-based youth development competitive grant pilot program
167	167	created by this Act.
168	168	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.