84R19290 YDB-F
By: Thompson of Harris H.B. No. 2630
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to certain programs provided to families of children at
risk for abuse and neglect.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 264.201(d), Family Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(d) The services may include in-home programs, parenting
skills training, youth coping skills, and individual and family
counseling. If the department requires or a court orders parenting
skills training services through a parenting education program, the
program must be an evidence-based or promising practice parenting
education program described by Section 265.051 that is provided in
the community in which the family resides, if available.
SECTION 2. Chapter 265, Family Code, is amended by
designating Sections 265.001, 265.002, 265.003, and 265.004 as
Subchapter A and adding a subchapter heading to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS
SECTION 3. Section 265.004, Family Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (a-1) and (a-2) to
read as follows:
(a) To the extent that money is appropriated for the
purpose, the department shall fund evidence-based programs,
including parenting education, home visitation, family support
services, mentoring, positive youth development programs, and
crisis counseling, offered by community-based organizations that
are designed to prevent or ameliorate child abuse and neglect. The
[evidence-based] programs funded under this subsection may be
offered by a child welfare board established under Section 264.005,
a local governmental board granted the powers and duties of a child
welfare board under state law, [or] a children's advocacy center
established under Section 264.402, or other persons determined
appropriate by the department.
(a-1) The department shall ensure that not less than 75
percent of the money appropriated for parenting education programs
under Subsection (a) funds evidence-based programs described by
Section 265.051(b) and that the remainder of that money funds
promising practice programs described by Section 265.051(c).
(a-2) The department shall actively seek and apply for any
available federal funds to support parenting education programs
provided under this section.
SECTION 4. Chapter 265, Family Code, is amended by adding
Subchapter B to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER B. PARENTING EDUCATION
Sec. 265.051. PARENTING EDUCATION PROGRAMS. (a) A
parenting education program provided by the department or ordered
by a court under Chapter 264 or this chapter must be an
evidence-based program or a promising practice program described by
this section.
(b) An evidence-based program is a parenting education
program that:
(1) is research-based and grounded in relevant,
empirical knowledge and program-determined outcomes;
(2) has comprehensive standards ensuring the highest
quality service delivery with continuous improvement in the quality
of service delivery;
(3) has demonstrated significant positive short-term
and long-term outcomes;
(4) has been evaluated by at least one rigorous,
random, controlled research trial across heterogeneous populations
or communities with research results that have been published in a
peer-reviewed journal;
(5) substantially complies with a program manual or
design that specifies the purpose, outcomes, duration, and
frequency of the program services; and
(6) employs well-trained and competent staff and
provides continual relevant professional development opportunities
to the staff.
(c) A promising practice program is a parenting education
program that:
(1) has an active impact evaluation program or
demonstrates a schedule for implementing an active impact
evaluation program;
(2) has been evaluated by at least one outcome-based
study demonstrating effectiveness or random, controlled trial in a
homogeneous sample;
(3) substantially complies with a program manual or
design that specifies the purpose, outcomes, duration, and
frequency of the program services;
(4) employs well-trained and competent staff and
provides continual relevant professional development opportunities
to the staff; and
(5) is research-based and grounded in relevant,
empirical knowledge and program-determined outcomes.
Sec. 265.052. OUTCOMES OF EVIDENCE-BASED PARENTING
EDUCATION. The department shall ensure that a parenting education
program provided under Chapter 264 or this chapter achieves
favorable behavioral outcomes in at least two of the following
areas:
(1) improved cognitive development of children;
(2) increased school readiness of children;
(3) reduced child abuse, neglect, and injury;
(4) improved child safety;
(5) improved social-emotional development of
children;
(6) improved parenting skills, including nurturing
and bonding;
(7) improved family economic self-sufficiency;
(8) reduced parental involvement with the criminal
justice system; and
(9) increased paternal involvement and support.
Sec. 265.053. EVALUATION OF EVIDENCE-BASED PARENTING
EDUCATION. (a) The department shall adopt outcome indicators to
measure the effectiveness of parenting education programs provided
under Chapter 264 or this chapter in achieving desired outcomes.
(b) The department may work directly with the model
developer of a parenting education program to identify appropriate
outcome indicators for the program and to ensure that the program
substantially complies with the model.
(c) The department shall develop internal processes to
share information with parenting education programs to assist the
department in analyzing the performance of the programs.
(d) The department shall use information obtained under
this section to:
(1) monitor parenting education programs;
(2) continually improve the quality of the programs;
and
(3) evaluate the effectiveness of the programs.
Sec. 265.0535. INITIAL REPORT. (a) Not later than December
1, 2016, the department shall prepare and submit a report on
state-funded parenting education programs to the standing
committees of the senate and house of representatives with
jurisdiction over child protective services.
(b) The report submitted under this section must include:
(1) the status and a description of the parenting
education programs implemented and a description of the models
associated with the programs; and
(2) information on the number of families served by
the programs, including their demographic information.
(c) This section expires January 1, 2017.
Sec. 265.054. REPORTS TO LEGISLATURE. (a) Not later than
December 1 of each even-numbered year, the department shall prepare
and submit a report on state-funded parenting education programs to
the standing committees of the senate and house of representatives
with jurisdiction over child protective services.
(b) A report submitted under this section must include:
(1) a description of the parenting education programs
implemented and of the models associated with the programs;
(2) information on the families served by the
programs, including the number of families served and their
demographic information;
(3) the goals and achieved outcomes of the programs;
(4) information on the cost for each family served,
including any available third-party return-on-investment analysis;
and
(5) information explaining the percentage of money
spent on evidence-based programs and on promising practice
programs.
Sec. 265.055. RULES. The executive commissioner of the
Health and Human Services Commission may adopt rules as necessary
to implement this subchapter.
SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
a program provided under Chapter 265, Family Code, on or after the
effective date of this Act.
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.