Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB822 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R2986 EAS-D
2	2	By: Parker H.B. No. 822
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to addressing adverse childhood experiences and
8	8	developing a strategic plan to address those experiences.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Section 531.0222 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 531.0222. COORDINATION TO ADDRESS ADVERSE CHILDHOOD
13	13	EXPERIENCES; STRATEGIC PLAN. (a) In this section, "adverse
14	14	childhood experience" includes:
15	15	(1) abuse as defined by Section 261.001, Family Code;
16	16	(2) neglect as defined by Section 261.001, Family
17	17	Code;
18	18	(3) family violence as defined by Section 71.004,
19	19	Family Code;
20	20	(4) intimate partner violence;
21	21	(5) parental separation or divorce; and
22	22	(6) substance use disorder, mental illness, or
23	23	incarceration of a member of a child's household.
24	24	(b) In order to reduce exposure of children in this state to
25	25	adverse childhood experiences and to address the social, health,
26	26	and economic impacts of those experiences, the commission, in
27	27	collaboration with the Department of Family and Protective
28	28	Services, the Department of State Health Services, the Texas
29	29	Education Agency, the Texas Workforce Commission, and an
30	30	institution of higher education, as defined by Section 61.003,
31	31	Education Code, with expertise in addressing adverse childhood
32	32	experiences through a public health framework shall:
33	33	(1) analyze data related to the causes and effects of
34	34	adverse childhood experiences, including data from the Behavioral
35	35	Risk Factor Surveillance System established by the Centers for
36	36	Disease Control and Prevention of the United States Public Health
37	37	Service;
38	38	(2) evaluate prevention needs and gaps in services and
39	39	support regarding awareness of, screening for, and treatment of
40	40	adverse childhood experiences;
41	41	(3) identify methods to incorporate best practices for
42	42	preventing and treating adverse childhood experiences into
43	43	existing services and support programs offered for children and
44	44	families; and
45	45	(4) develop and implement a five-year strategic plan
46	46	to prevent and address adverse childhood experiences.
47	47	(c) In developing the five-year strategic plan under
48	48	Subsection (b)(4), the commission may collaborate with
49	49	representatives of:
50	50	(1) state and local agencies and nonprofit
51	51	organizations that work directly with children and families;
52	52	(2) child welfare services providers;
53	53	(3) early childhood education programs;
54	54	(4) public schools;
55	55	(5) medical and mental health services providers;
56	56	(6) social services providers;
57	57	(7) the law enforcement and criminal justice
58	58	community;
59	59	(8) faith-based organizations; and
60	60	(9) the business community.
61	61	(d) The strategic plan must incorporate a public health
62	62	approach that promotes collaboration between agencies and
63	63	community-based providers. The strategic plan may include
64	64	strategies to:
65	65	(1) train and educate professionals to assess, treat,
66	66	and prevent adverse childhood experiences;
67	67	(2) provide trauma-informed practices;
68	68	(3) provide high quality child care;
69	69	(4) provide support to parents to develop social and
70	70	economic independence;
71	71	(5) develop voluntary, evidence-based home visiting
72	72	programs specifically developed to meet the needs of women who are
73	73	pregnant and families with an infant to strengthen parenting skills
74	74	and the child's social and emotional development;
75	75	(6) develop parental support programs for teen parents
76	76	and young mothers;
77	77	(7) develop parental education training and
78	78	counseling programs;
79	79	(8) identify best practices for child protective
80	80	services;
81	81	(9) treat mental illness and substance use disorder;
82	82	and
83	83	(10) prevent intimate partner and family violence.
84	84	(e) The commission shall publish the five-year strategic
85	85	plan required by Subsection (b) on the commission's Internet
86	86	website.
87	87	SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2020, the Health and
88	88	Human Services Commission shall:
89	89	(1) develop the five-year strategic plan required by
90	90	Section 531.0222(b)(4), Government Code, as added by this Act; and
91	91	(2) submit a report to the Senate Health and Human
92	92	Services Committee, the House Public Health Committee, and the
93	93	House Human Services Committee regarding the commission's
94	94	strategies for preventing and treating adverse childhood
95	95	experiences and any plan to incorporate those strategies into
96	96	existing services and support programs for children and families.
97	97	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.