By: West, et al. S.B. No. 1279
(Phelan)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to prevention and early intervention programs and
practices.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 264.201(d), Family Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(d) The services may include in-home programs, parenting
skills training, youth coping skills, and individual and family
counseling. If the department requires or a court orders parenting
skills training services through a parenting education program or
practice, the program or practice must be an evidence-based program
or practice, promising [practice parenting education] program or
practice, or evidence-informed program or practice described by
Section 265.151 that is provided in the community in which the
family resides, if available.
SECTION 2. Section 265.004(a-1), Family Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a-1) The department shall ensure that not less than 75
percent of the money appropriated for home visiting programs and
parenting education programs under Subsection (a) funds
evidence-based programs or practices described by Section
265.151(b) and that the remainder of that money funds promising
[practice] programs or practices described by Section 265.151(c)
and evidence-informed programs or practices described by Section
265.151(d).
SECTION 3. The heading to Subchapter D, Chapter 265, Family
Code, is amended to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER D. EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES [PARENTING
EDUCATION]
SECTION 4. The heading to Section 265.151, Family Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 265.151. REQUIREMENTS FOR [PARENTING EDUCATION]
PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES ON EVIDENCE-BASED SPECTRUM.
SECTION 5. Section 265.151, Family Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (b) and (c) and adding Subsection (d) to read
as follows:
(b) An evidence-based program or practice is a [parenting
education] program or practice that:
(1) is research-based and grounded in relevant,
empirical knowledge and program-determined outcomes;
(2) has comprehensive standards ensuring the highest
quality service delivery with continuous improvement in the quality
of service delivery;
(3) has demonstrated significant positive [short-term
and long-term] outcomes;
(4) is listed as an evidence-based program or practice
by a nationally recognized clearinghouse associated with a state or
federal agency or an institution of higher education or, during the
preceding 10 years, has been subject to an external evaluation that
showed positive results and was published in peer-reviewed
literature [has been evaluated by at least one rigorous, random,
controlled research trial across heterogeneous populations or
communities with research results that have been published in a
peer-reviewed journal];
(5) substantially complies with a program manual or
design that specifies the purpose, outcomes, duration, and
frequency of the program services; [and]
(6) employs well-trained and competent staff and
provides continual relevant professional development opportunities
to the staff;
(7) is associated with a national organization,
institution of higher education, or national or state public health
institute; and
(8) demonstrates substantial connections to other
community-based services.
(c) A promising [practice] program or practice is a
[parenting education] program or practice that:
(1) has an active impact evaluation program or
demonstrates a schedule for implementing an active impact
evaluation program;
(2) is listed as a promising program or practice by a
nationally recognized clearinghouse associated with a state or
federal agency or an institution of higher education or, during the
preceding 10 years, has been subject to an external evaluation that
showed positive results and was published in peer-reviewed
literature [has been evaluated by at least one outcome-based study
demonstrating effectiveness or random, controlled trial in a
homogeneous sample];
(3) substantially complies with a program manual or
design that specifies the purpose, outcomes, duration, and
frequency of the program services;
(4) employs well-trained and competent staff and
provides continual relevant professional development opportunities
to the staff; [and]
(5) is research-based and grounded in relevant,
empirical knowledge and program-determined outcomes; and
(6) demonstrates substantial connections to other
community-based services.
(d) An evidence-informed program or practice is a program or
practice that:
(1) combines well-researched interventions with
clinical experience and ethics, and client preferences and culture,
to guide and inform the delivery of treatments and services;
(2) has an active impact evaluation program or
demonstrates a schedule for implementing an active impact
evaluation program;
(3) substantially complies with a program manual or
design that specifies the purpose, outcome, duration, and frequency
of the program services; and
(4) employs well-trained and competent staff and
provides continual relevant professional development opportunities
to the staff.
SECTION 6. Section 265.152, Family Code, is amended to read
as follows:
Sec. 265.152. OUTCOMES OF EVIDENCE-BASED PREVENTION AND
EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES [PARENTING EDUCATION].
The department shall ensure that a prevention and early
intervention [parenting education] program or practice provided
under this subchapter [chapter] achieves favorable behavioral
outcomes in at least two of the following areas:
(1) improved cognitive development of children;
(2) increased [school] readiness for and
participation and performance in school [of children];
(3) reduced child abuse, neglect, and injury;
(4) improved child safety;
(5) improved social-emotional development of children
and youth;
(6) increased protective factors [improved parenting
skills], including nurturing, [and] bonding, and other parenting
skills;
(7) improved family economic self-sufficiency;
(8) reduced parental or youth involvement with the
criminal justice system; [and]
(9) increased paternal involvement and support;
(10) improved maternal and child health; and
(11) increased protective factors for youth.
SECTION 7. Section 265.153, Family Code, is amended to read
as follows:
Sec. 265.153. EVALUATION OF PREVENTION AND EARLY
INTERVENTION PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES [EVIDENCE-BASED PARENTING
EDUCATION]. (a) The department shall adopt outcome indicators to
measure the effectiveness of prevention and early intervention
[parenting education] programs and practices provided under this
subchapter [chapter] in achieving desired outcomes.
(b) The department may work directly with the model
developer of a prevention and early intervention [parenting
education] program or practice to identify appropriate outcome
indicators for the program or practice and to ensure that the
program or practice substantially complies with the model.
(c) The department shall develop internal processes to
share information with prevention and early intervention service
providers [parenting education programs] to assist the department
in analyzing the performance of the programs or practices.
(d) The department shall use information obtained under
this section to:
(1) monitor prevention and early intervention
[parenting education] programs and practices;
(2) continually improve the quality of the programs
and practices; and
(3) evaluate the effectiveness of the programs and
practices.
SECTION 8. Section 265.154, Family Code, is amended to read
as follows:
Sec. 265.154. REPORTS TO LEGISLATURE. (a) Not later than
December 1 of each even-numbered year, the department shall prepare
and submit a report on state-funded prevention and early
intervention [parenting education] programs and practices to the
standing committees of the senate and house of representatives with
jurisdiction over child protective services.
(b) A report submitted under this section must include:
(1) a description of the prevention and early
intervention [parenting education] programs and practices
implemented and of the models associated with the programs and
practices;
(2) information on the families served by the programs
and practices, including the number of families served and their
demographic information;
(3) the goals and achieved outcomes of the implemented
programs and practices;
(4) information on the cost for each family served,
including any available third-party return-on-investment analysis;
and
(5) information explaining the percentage of money
spent on evidence-based programs and practices, on promising
[practice] programs and practices, and on evidence-informed
programs and practices.
SECTION 9. Section 265.151(a), Family Code, is repealed.
SECTION 10. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.