Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2926 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R9039 SCL-D
2	2	By: Hinojosa H.B. No. 2926
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the establishment of the family first prevention
8	8	services task force.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. (a) In this section, "task force" means the
11	11	family first prevention services task force established under this
12	12	section.
13	13	(b) The family first prevention services task force is
14	14	established for the purpose of assessing the readiness of this
15	15	state in implementing Title VII, Div. E, Pub. L. No. 115-123 by
16	16	2021.
17	17	(c) The task force is composed of at least 19 members
18	18	appointed by the commissioner of the Department of Family and
19	19	Protective Services as follows:
20	20	(1) the commissioner of family and protective
21	21	services;
22	22	(2) the assistant commissioner of child protective
23	23	services;
24	24	(3) the assistant commissioner of prevention and early
25	25	intervention services;
26	26	(4) the medical director of the department;
27	27	(5) a representative from a single source continuum
28	28	contractor;
29	29	(6) a representative of a child-placing agency in this
30	30	state with experience in managing a residential treatment center;
31	31	(7) a representative of court-appointed volunteer
32	32	advocates;
33	33	(8) a judge of a court that hears suits affecting the
34	34	parent-child relationship;
35	35	(9) an attorney ad litem with experience in
36	36	court-ordered representation of children and youth in the
37	37	conservatorship of the department;
38	38	(10) an advocate for foster children and youth who is
39	39	not employed by or under contract with the department;
40	40	(11) a representative of the legislature;
41	41	(12) a representative of the Legislative Budget Board;
42	42	(13) a representative of the office of the comptroller
43	43	of public accounts;
44	44	(14) three advocates who are not employed by or under
45	45	contract with the department and who advocate for providing
46	46	services to families at risk of entering the foster care system,
47	47	including an advocate for the substance abuse treatment community,
48	48	an advocate for the mental health treatment community, and an
49	49	advocate with experience in providing services to pregnant and
50	50	parenting youth;
51	51	(15) an advocate with experience as a foster child;
52	52	(16) an advocate with experience as a parent in the
53	53	foster care system;
54	54	(17) an advocate with experience as a kinship
55	55	caregiver; and
56	56	(18) any other member of the department's executive
57	57	staff the commissioner considers necessary.
58	58	(d) The commissioner of family and protective services
59	59	serves as the presiding officer of the task force.
60	60	(e) A vacancy for an appointed member of the task force is
61	61	filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
62	62	(f) The task force shall meet at least quarterly at the call
63	63	of the presiding officer. The task force shall meet at other times
64	64	as determined by the presiding officer.
65	65	(g) The task force shall:
66	66	(1) evaluate and make recommendations on matters
67	67	related to the task force's purpose as described by Subsection (b)
68	68	of this section, including:
69	69	(A) the transformation of the placement of foster
70	70	children and youth from residential treatment centers to qualified
71	71	residential treatment providers and the process for certifying an
72	72	unaccredited residential treatment center;
73	73	(B) the total capacity of all foster care
74	74	placements in this state;
75	75	(C) the foster care prevention and early
76	76	intervention strategies currently available in this state;
77	77	(D) any issue that may arise in a suit affecting
78	78	the parent-child relationship for a child or youth in the
79	79	conservatorship of the department;
80	80	(E) any issue relating to families entering the
81	81	child protective services system; and
82	82	(F) methods for using federal and state money to
83	83	allow a greater number of children and youth to remain in their
84	84	homes while addressing safety concerns for the children and youth;
85	85	and
86	86	(2) examine the costs to this state and the private
87	87	sector and other issues related to the use of federal money
88	88	allocated or transferred under Title VII, Div. E, Pub. L. No.
89	89	115-123.
90	90	(h) The Department of Family and Protective Services shall
91	91	provide reasonably necessary administrative and technical support
92	92	to the task force.
93	93	(i) The task force shall prepare a written report that
94	94	includes:
95	95	(1) a description of the activities of the task force;
96	96	(2) the findings and recommendations of the task
97	97	force; and
98	98	(3) proposed legislation, recommendations, or
99	99	information on any other relevant matter that the task force
100	100	considers appropriate.
101	101	(j) Not later than January 1, 2021, the task force shall
102	102	submit the report described by Subsection (i) of this section to the
103	103	governor, the lieutenant governor, and each member of the
104	104	legislature.
105	105	(k) The task force is abolished and this section expires
106	106	June 1, 2021.
107	107	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
108	108	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
109	109	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
110	110	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
111	111	Act takes effect September 1, 2019.