By: Nelson, et al. S.B. No. 426
(Zerwas)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a home visiting program for at-risk families.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 531, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subchapter X to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER X. TEXAS HOME VISITING PROGRAM
Sec. 531.981. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
(1) "Home visiting program" means a
voluntary-enrollment program in which early childhood and health
professionals such as nurses, social workers, or trained and
supervised paraprofessionals repeatedly visit over a period of at
least six months the homes of pregnant women or families with
children under the age of six who are born with or exposed to one or
more risk factors.
(2) "Risk factors" means factors that make a child
more likely to experience adverse experiences leading to negative
consequences, including preterm birth, poverty, low parental
education, having a teenaged mother or father, poor maternal
health, and parental underemployment or unemployment.
Sec. 531.982. ESTABLISHMENT OF TEXAS HOME VISITING PROGRAM.
(a) The commission shall create a strategic plan to serve at-risk
pregnant women and families with children under the age of six
through home visiting programs that improve outcomes for parents
and families.
(b) A pregnant woman or family is considered at-risk for
purposes of this section and may be eligible for voluntary
enrollment in a home visiting program if the woman or family is
exposed to one or more risk factors.
(c) The commission may determine if a risk factor or
combination of risk factors experienced by an at-risk pregnant
woman or family qualifies the woman or family for enrollment in a
home visiting program.
Sec. 531.983. TYPES OF HOME VISITING PROGRAMS. (a) A home
visiting program is classified as either an evidence-based program
or a promising practice program.
(b) An evidence-based program is a home visiting program
that:
(1) is research-based and grounded in relevant,
empirically based knowledge and program-determined outcomes;
(2) is associated with a national organization,
institution of higher education, or national or state public health
institute;
(3) has comprehensive standards that ensure
high-quality service delivery and continuously improving quality;
(4) has demonstrated significant positive short-term
and long-term outcomes;
(5) has been evaluated by at least one rigorous
randomized controlled research trial across heterogeneous
populations or communities, the results of at least one of which has
been published in a peer-reviewed journal;
(6) follows with fidelity a program manual or design
that specifies the purpose, outcomes, duration, and frequency of
the services that constitute the program;
(7) employs well-trained and competent staff and
provides continual relevant professional development
opportunities;
(8) demonstrates strong links to other
community-based services; and
(9) ensures compliance with home visiting standards.
(c) A promising practice program is a home visiting program
that:
(1) has an active impact evaluation program or can
demonstrate a timeline for implementing an active impact evaluation
program;
(2) has been evaluated by at least one outcome-based
study demonstrating effectiveness or a randomized controlled trial
in a homogeneous sample;
(3) follows with fidelity a program manual or design
that specifies the purpose, outcomes, duration, and frequency of
the services that constitute the program;
(4) employs well-trained and competent staff and
provides continual relevant professional development
opportunities;
(5) demonstrates strong links to other
community-based services; and
(6) ensures compliance with home visiting standards.
Sec. 531.984. FUNDING. (a) The commission shall ensure
that at least 75 percent of funds appropriated for home visiting
programs are used in evidence-based programs, with any remaining
funds dedicated to promising practice programs.
(b) The commission shall actively seek and apply for any
available federal funds to support home visiting programs,
including federal funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families program.
(c) The commission may accept gifts, donations, and grants
to support home visiting programs.
Sec. 531.985. OUTCOMES. The commission shall ensure that a
home visiting program achieves favorable outcomes in at least two
of the following areas:
(1) improved maternal or child health outcomes;
(2) improved cognitive development of children;
(3) increased school readiness of children;
(4) reduced child abuse, neglect, and injury;
(5) improved child safety;
(6) improved social-emotional development of
children;
(7) improved parenting skills, including nurturing
and bonding;
(8) improved family economic self-sufficiency;
(9) reduced parental involvement with the criminal
justice system; and
(10) increased father involvement and support.
Sec. 531.986. EVALUATION OF HOME VISITING PROGRAM.
(a) The commission shall adopt outcome indicators to measure the
effectiveness of a home visiting program in achieving desired
outcomes.
(b) The commission may work directly with the model
developer of a home visiting program to identify appropriate
outcome indicators for the program and to ensure that the program
demonstrates fidelity to its research model.
(c) The commission shall develop internal processes to work
with home visiting programs to share data and information to aid in
making relevant analysis of the performance of a home visiting
program.
(d) The commission shall use data gathered under this
section to monitor, conduct ongoing quality improvement on, and
evaluate the effectiveness of home visiting programs.
Sec. 531.987. INITIAL REPORT. (a) Not later than December
1, 2014, the commission shall prepare and submit a report on
state-funded home visiting programs to the Senate Committee on
Health and Human Services and the House Human Services Committee or
their successors.
(b) The report submitted under this section must include:
(1) the status of the implementation process,
including a description of home visiting programs being implemented
and the associated models; and
(2) data on the number of families being served and
their demographic information.
(c) This section expires January 1, 2015.
Sec. 531.9871. REPORTS TO LEGISLATURE. (a) Not later than
December 1 of each even-numbered year, the commission shall prepare
and submit a report on state-funded home visiting programs to the
Senate Committee on Health and Human Services and the House Human
Services Committee or their successors.
(b) A report submitted under this section must include:
(1) a description of home visiting programs being
implemented and the associated models;
(2) data on the number of families being served and
their demographic information;
(3) the goals and achieved outcomes of home visiting
programs;
(4) data on cost per family served, including
third-party return-on-investment analysis, if available; and
(5) data explaining what percentage of funding has
been used on evidence-based programs and what percentage of funding
has been used on promising practice programs.
Sec. 531.988. RULES. The commission may adopt rules as
necessary to implement this subchapter.
SECTION 2. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of
this section, this Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
(b) Section 531.9871, Government Code, as added by this Act,
takes effect January 15, 2015.