| 1 | 1 | | 85R12961 MK-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Burkett H.B. No. 3091 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | relating to evaluating and improving the provision of prevention |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | and early intervention services by the Department of Family and |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | Protective Services. |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 265, Family Code, is |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Sections 265.007 and 265.008 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 265.007. IMPROVING PROVISION OF PREVENTION AND EARLY |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | INTERVENTION SERVICES. To improve the effectiveness and delivery |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | of prevention and early intervention services, the department |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | shall: |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | (1) use a geographic focus to ensure that prevention |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | and early intervention services are provided to families with the |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | greatest need; |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | (2) identify the geographic areas that have the |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | highest need for prevention and early intervention services using: |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | (A) verified external risk terrain modeling; or |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | (B) geographic risk assessments that use risk |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | indicators of child abuse or neglect and child abuse fatalities; |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | (3) identify geographic areas that have a high need |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | for prevention and early intervention services but do not have |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | prevention and early intervention services available in the area or |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | have only unevaluated prevention and early intervention services |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | available in the area; and |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | (4) develop strategies for community partners to: |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | (A) improve the early recognition of child abuse |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | or neglect; |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | (B) improve the reporting of child abuse and |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | neglect; and |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | (C) prevent child fatalities. |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | Sec. 265.008. EVALUATION OF PREVENTION AND EARLY |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | INTERVENTION SERVICES. (a) The department and the Texas Higher |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | Education Coordinating Board shall enter into agreements with |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | institutions of higher education to conduct efficacy reviews of any |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | prevention and early intervention services provided under this |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | chapter that have not previously been evaluated for effectiveness |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | in a research evaluation that meets the standards described by |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | Subsection (b). The efficacy review shall include, when possible, a |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | cost-benefit analysis of the program to the state. |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | (b) A prevention and early intervention services program is |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | considered to have been previously evaluated if it has been |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | evaluated by at least one rigorous randomized controlled research |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | trial across heterogeneous populations or communities, the results |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | of at least one of which have been published in a peer-reviewed |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | journal. |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | (c) The department is not required to enter into an |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | agreement to conduct a program efficacy evaluation under this |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | section unless: |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | (1) the department is specifically appropriated money |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | for the purposes of this section; or |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | (2) the agreement with the institution of higher |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | education is cost neutral. |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
|---|