Texas 2011 - 82nd Regular

Texas House Bill HB824 Compare Versions

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1	1	By: Villarreal, et al. H.B. No. 824
2	2	(Senate Sponsor - Van de Putte)
3	3	(In the Senate - Received from the House March 31, 2011;
4	4	April 13, 2011, read first time and referred to Committee on Health
5	5	and Human Services; May 11, 2011, reported favorably by the
6	6	following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 11, 2011, sent to printer.)
7	7
8	8
9	9	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
10	10	AN ACT
11	11	relating to an outreach campaign to promote fathers' involvement
12	12	with their children before birth.
13	13	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
14	14	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 32, Health and Safety
15	15	Code, is amended by adding Section 32.0211 to read as follows:
16	16	Sec. 32.0211. WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN PROGRAM OUTREACH
17	17	CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE FATHERS' INVOLVEMENT. (a) The attorney general
18	18	shall:
19	19	(1) subject to Subsections (b) and (c), develop and
20	20	periodically update a publication that:
21	21	(A) describes the importance and long-term
22	22	positive effects on children of a father's involvement during a
23	23	mother's pregnancy; and
24	24	(B) provides guidance to prospective fathers on
25	25	the positive actions that they can take to support the pregnant
26	26	mother during pregnancy and the effect those actions have on
27	27	pregnancy outcomes; and
28	28	(2) make the publication described by Subdivision (1)
29	29	available to any agency, organization, or other entity that
30	30	contracts with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for
31	31	Women, Infants and Children and on the attorney general's Internet
32	32	website in a format that allows the public to download and print the
33	33	publication.
34	34	(b) The publication developed by the attorney general under
35	35	Subsection (a) must include:
36	36	(1) information regarding the steps that unmarried
37	37	parents must take if the parents want to establish legal paternity
38	38	and the benefits of paternity establishment for children;
39	39	(2) a worksheet to help fathers identify personal risk
40	40	behaviors, including smoking, substance abuse, and unemployment;
41	41	(3) information regarding how a father's personal risk
42	42	behaviors may affect the father's child and a guide to resources
43	43	that are available to the father to assist in making necessary
44	44	lifestyle changes;
45	45	(4) information for fathers about the mother's
46	46	prenatal health, including the emotional and physical changes a
47	47	mother will experience throughout pregnancy, the mother's
48	48	nutritional needs, and an explanation of how the father may help the
49	49	mother meet those needs;
50	50	(5) an explanation of prenatal health care visits,
51	51	including an explanation of what they are and what to expect, and
52	52	the practical ways a father may support the mother throughout
53	53	pregnancy;
54	54	(6) information regarding a child's prenatal health,
55	55	including the child's developmental stages, the importance of
56	56	attending prenatal health care visits, the practical ways a father
57	57	may contribute to healthy baby outcomes, and actions the father may
58	58	take to prepare for the birth of a child;
59	59	(7) an explanation regarding prenatal tests,
60	60	including an explanation of what the tests are and what tests to
61	61	expect;
62	62	(8) basic infant care information, including:
63	63	(A) information regarding the basics of
64	64	dressing, diapering, bathing, consoling, and stimulating an
65	65	infant;
66	66	(B) health and safety issues, including issues
67	67	relating to nutritional information, sleep needs and expectations,
68	68	baby-proofing a home, and what to expect at the first well-child
69	69	visits; and
70	70	(C) information on bonding and attachment and how
71	71	each relates to an infant's development;
72	72	(9) healthy relationship and coparenting information,
73	73	including communication strategies, conflict resolution
74	74	strategies, and problem-solving techniques for coparenting;
75	75	(10) worksheets, activities, and exercises to aid
76	76	fathers and the couple in exploring the following topics:
77	77	(A) personal ideas about fatherhood and the role
78	78	of the father in the family system;
79	79	(B) the immediate and long-term benefits of
80	80	father involvement specific to their family; and
81	81	(C) perceived barriers to father involvement and
82	82	strategies for overcoming those barriers; and
83	83	(11) activities and projects for fathers that increase
84	84	the fathers' understanding of the stages of child developmental and
85	85	health and safety issues.
86	86	(c) In developing the publication required by Subsection
87	87	(a), the attorney general shall consult with:
88	88	(1) the department as the state agency responsible for
89	89	administering the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for
90	90	Women, Infants and Children and this state's program under the
91	91	Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C.
92	92	Section 701 et seq.); and
93	93	(2) the Texas Council on Family Violence.
94	94	(d) An agency, organization, or other entity that contracts
95	95	with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants
96	96	and Children shall make the publication described by Subsection (a)
97	97	available to each client receiving clinical or nutritional services
98	98	under the program.
99	99	SECTION 2. Notwithstanding Section 32.0211(d), Health and
100	100	Safety Code, as added by this Act, the Department of State Health
101	101	Services and an agency, organization, or other entity providing
102	102	services under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for
103	103	Women, Infants and Children are not required to comply with that
104	104	section until the attorney general makes the publication available
105	105	as described by Section 32.0211(a)(2), Health and Safety Code, as
106	106	added by this Act.
107	107	SECTION 3. If before implementing any provision of this Act
108	108	a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
109	109	federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
110	110	the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
111	111	authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
112	112	waiver or authorization is granted.
113	113	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
114	114	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
115	115	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
116	116	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
117	117	Act takes effect September 1, 2011.
118	118	* * * * *