Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3092 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R13112 MK-D
2	2	By: Burkett H.B. No. 3092
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to prevention and early intervention services provided by
8	8	the Department of Family and Protective Services.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 265.005, Family Code, is amended by
11	11	amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (f) to read as
12	12	follows:
13	13	(b) A strategic plan required under this section must:
14	14	(1) identify methods to leverage other sources of
15	15	funding or provide support for existing community-based prevention
16	16	efforts;
17	17	(2) include a needs assessment that identifies
18	18	programs to best target the needs of the highest risk populations
19	19	and geographic areas;
20	20	(3) identify the goals and priorities for the
21	21	department's overall prevention efforts;
22	22	(4) report the results of previous prevention efforts
23	23	using available information in the plan;
24	24	(5) identify additional methods of measuring program
25	25	effectiveness and results or outcomes;
26	26	(6) identify methods to collaborate with other state
27	27	agencies on prevention efforts; [and]
28	28	(7) identify specific strategies to implement the plan
29	29	and to develop measures for reporting on the overall progress
30	30	toward the plan's goals; and
31	31	(8) include a growth strategy with the goal of
32	32	increasing the number of families receiving prevention and early
33	33	intervention services each year, subject to the availability of
34	34	funds, with the initial goal of providing services to 50 percent of
35	35	the highest risk families that are eligible to receive services
36	36	through home visiting and community-based programs financed with
37	37	federal, state, local, or private resources.
38	38	(f) In this section, "highest risk family" means a family
39	39	that has children five years of age or younger and whose family
40	40	income is at or below 50 percent of the federal poverty level.
41	41	SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 265, Family Code, is
42	42	amended by adding Sections 265.007 and 265.008 to read as follows:
43	43	Sec. 265.007. IMPROVING PROVISION OF PREVENTION AND EARLY
44	44	INTERVENTION SERVICES. To improve the effectiveness and delivery
45	45	of prevention and early intervention services, the department
46	46	shall:
47	47	(1) use a geographic focus to ensure that prevention
48	48	and early intervention services are provided to families with the
49	49	greatest need;
50	50	(2) identify the geographic areas that have the
51	51	highest need for prevention and early intervention services using:
52	52	(A) verified external risk terrain modeling; or
53	53	(B) geographic risk assessments that use risk
54	54	indicators of child abuse or neglect and child abuse fatalities;
55	55	(3) identify geographic areas that have a high need
56	56	for prevention and early intervention services but do not have
57	57	prevention and early intervention services available in the area or
58	58	have only unevaluated prevention and early intervention services
59	59	available in the area; and
60	60	(4) develop strategies for community partners to:
61	61	(A) improve the early recognition of child abuse
62	62	or neglect;
63	63	(B) improve the reporting of child abuse and
64	64	neglect; and
65	65	(C) prevent child fatalities.
66	66	Sec. 265.008. EVALUATION OF PREVENTION AND EARLY
67	67	INTERVENTION SERVICES. (a) The department and the Texas Higher
68	68	Education Coordinating Board shall enter into agreements with
69	69	institutions of higher education to conduct efficacy reviews of any
70	70	prevention and early intervention services provided under this
71	71	chapter that have not previously been evaluated for effectiveness
72	72	in a research evaluation that meets the standards described by
73	73	Subsection (b). The efficacy review shall include, when possible, a
74	74	cost-benefit analysis of the program to the state.
75	75	(b) A prevention and early intervention services program is
76	76	considered to have been previously evaluated if it has been
77	77	evaluated by at least one rigorous randomized controlled research
78	78	trial across heterogeneous populations or communities, the results
79	79	of at least one of which have been published in a peer-reviewed
80	80	journal.
81	81	(c) The department is not required to enter into an
82	82	agreement to conduct a program efficacy evaluation under this
83	83	section unless:
84	84	(1) the department is specifically appropriated money
85	85	for the purposes of this section; or
86	86	(2) the agreement with the institution of higher
87	87	education is cost neutral.
88	88	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.