| 1 | 1 | | 85R13362 MK-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Swanson H.B. No. 3558 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to an innovation grant program for community faith-based |
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| 8 | 8 | | programs that collaborate with the Department of Family and |
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| 9 | 9 | | Protective Services to improve foster care. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 264, Family Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 264.2042 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 264.2042. GRANTS FOR FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY |
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| 14 | 14 | | COLLABORATIVE PROGRAMS. (a) Subject to the availability of funds, |
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| 15 | 15 | | the department shall establish and administer an innovation grant |
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| 16 | 16 | | program to award grants to support faith-based community programs |
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| 17 | 17 | | that collaborate with the department and the commission to improve |
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| 18 | 18 | | foster care and the placement of children in foster care. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (b) A faith-based community program is eligible for a grant |
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| 20 | 20 | | under this section if: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (1) the effectiveness of the program is supported by |
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| 22 | 22 | | empirical evidence; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) the program has demonstrated the ability to build |
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| 24 | 24 | | connections between faith-based, secular, and government |
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| 25 | 25 | | stakeholders. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (c) The regional director for the department in the region |
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| 27 | 27 | | where a grant recipient program is located, or the regional |
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| 28 | 28 | | director's designee, shall serve as the liaison between the |
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| 29 | 29 | | department and the program for collaborative purposes. For a |
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| 30 | 30 | | program that operates in a larger region, the department may |
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| 31 | 31 | | designate a liaison in each county where the program is operating. |
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| 32 | 32 | | The department or the commission may not direct or manage the |
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| 33 | 33 | | operation of the program. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (d) The initial duration of a grant under this section is |
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| 35 | 35 | | two years. The department may renew a grant awarded to a program |
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| 36 | 36 | | under this section if the department determines that the program is |
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| 37 | 37 | | successful. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (e) The department may not award to a program grants under |
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| 39 | 39 | | this section totaling more than $300,000. |
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| 40 | 40 | | (f) The department shall adopt rules to implement the grant |
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| 41 | 41 | | program created under this section. |
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| 42 | 42 | | SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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| 43 | 43 | | of this Act, the Department of Family and Protective Services shall |
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| 44 | 44 | | adopt rules for the implementation and administration of the |
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| 45 | 45 | | innovation grant program established under Section 264.2042, |
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| 46 | 46 | | Family Code, as added by this Act, and begin to award grants under |
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| 47 | 47 | | the program. |
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| 48 | 48 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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