Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1284 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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1	1		By: Miles S.B. No. 1284
2		-	(Raney)
3	2
4	3
5	4		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	5		AN ACT
7	6		relating to a competitive grant program to fund promotion of early
8	7		literacy programs in certain communities in this state.
9	8		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	9		SECTION 1. Chapter 73, Education Code, is amended by adding
11	10		Subchapter J to read as follows:
12	11		SUBCHAPTER J. COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE EARLY LITERACY
13	12		Sec. 73.701. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
14	13		(1) "Competitive grant program" means the competitive
15	14		grant program to promote early literacy established under this
16	15		subchapter.
17	16		(2) "Health care practitioner" has the meaning
18	17		assigned by Section 112.001, Occupations Code.
19	18		(3) "Health science center" means The University of
20	19		Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
21	20		(4) "Literacy program" means a program to promote
22	21		early literacy.
23	22		Sec. 73.702. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM TO
24	23		PROMOTE EARLY LITERACY. (a) Subject to Section 73.709, The
25	24		University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston shall
26	25		establish a competitive grant program to promote early literacy
27	26		through which the health science center will award grants for the
28	27		implementation of literacy programs, or the expansion of existing
29	28		programs, and for the operation of those programs for a period of
30	29		not less than two years.
31	30		(b) The health science center shall award grants under the
32	31		program to applicants, including applicants operating existing
33	32		programs, in a manner that ensures that the literacy programs
34	33		collectively operate in multiple communities that are
35	34		geographically distributed throughout this state.
36	35		Sec. 73.703. LITERACY PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. A literacy
37	36		program funded through a grant awarded under this subchapter must:
38	37		(1) consult and use as a guide the program model
39	38		developed by the Reach Out and Read National Center, including any
40	39		clinical, programmatic, and data collection requirements of that
41	40		model;
42	41		(2) require that health care practitioners who
43	42		participate in the literacy program:
44	43		(A) in conjunction with performing well-child
45	44		examinations, provide books to children and encourage parents to
46	45		read to their children to develop preliteracy skills;
47	46		(B) maintain waiting rooms that encourage
48	47		children to read; and
49	48		(C) provide services designed to increase the
50	49		school readiness of children receiving program services; and
51	50		(3) partner with local adult literacy providers to
52	51		encourage parent literacy in appropriate circumstances.
53	52		Sec. 73.704. APPLICATION. (a) A public or private entity,
54	53		including a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of
55	54		this state, may apply for a grant under this subchapter.
56	55		(b) To apply for a grant, an applicant must submit a written
57	56		application to the health science center on a form prescribed by the
58	57		health science center in consultation with the Reach Out and Read
59	58		National Center.
60	59		Sec. 73.705. LITERACY PROGRAM GUIDELINES. The health
61	60		science center, with the assistance of the Reach Out and Read
62	61		National Center, shall publish guidelines for the literacy programs
63	62		funded under this subchapter. The guidelines may follow the Reach
64	63		Out and Read national program model standards and guidelines that
65	64		have been tested and replicated in multiple communities.
66	65		Sec. 73.706. USE OF PROGRAM MONEY. (a) In addition to
67	66		awarding grants under this subchapter, the health science center
68	67		may use program money to:
69	68		(1) administer the competitive grant program; and
70	69		(2) purchase or contract to purchase discounted books
71	70		for use by grant recipients.
72	71		(b) A grant recipient may use grant money awarded under this
73	72		subchapter only to cover costs related to implementing or expanding
74	73		and operating a literacy program, including costs related to:
75	74		(1) administering the literacy program;
76	75		(2) training and managing health care practitioners
77	76		who volunteer to participate in the literacy program; and
78	77		(3) purchasing or contracting to purchase discounted
79	78		books for use in the literacy program.
80	79		Sec. 73.707. PROGRAM EVALUATION; BIENNIAL COMMITTEE
81	80		REPORTS. (a) The health science center, with the assistance of
82	81		the Reach Out and Read National Center, shall prepare and submit a
83	82		biennial report, not later than December 1 of each even-numbered
84	83		year, to the senate committee on education, or its successor, and
85	84		the house public education committee, or its successor, regarding
86	85		the grants awarded during the preceding two state fiscal years.
87	86		(b) The report required under Subsection (a) must include:
88	87		(1) the number of health care practitioners who
89	88		participate in the program;
90	89		(2) the number of children receiving literacy program
91	90		services as a result of the program; and
92	91		(3) the amount of each grant awarded to a health care
93	92		practitioner under the program.
94	93		(c) On request, each grant recipient shall timely collect
95	94		and provide data and any other information required by the health
96	95		science center to monitor and evaluate the program, including
97	96		recipient participation in the program, and to prepare the report
98	97		required by this section.
99	98		Sec. 73.708. COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING. (a) The
100	99		health science center shall actively seek and apply for any
101	100		available federal money to assist in financing the competitive
102	101		grant program established under this subchapter.
103	102		(b) To assist in financing the competitive grant program,
104	103		the health science center may:
105	104		(1) use appropriated money from the state government;
106	105		and
107	106		(2) accept gifts, donations, grants of money, and
108	107		in-kind contributions from the federal government, local
109	108		governments, private corporations, or other persons, provided that
110	109		the health science center implements the program in accordance with
111	110		the contingency under Section 73.709.
112	111		Sec. 73.709. APPROPRIATION CONTINGENCY. The health science
113	112		center is required to implement a provision of this subchapter only
114	113		if the legislature appropriates money specifically for that
115	114		purpose. If the legislature does not appropriate money
116	115		specifically for that purpose, the health science center may, but
117	116		is not required to, implement the provision using other money
118	117		available to the health science center for that purpose.
119	118		SECTION 2. The University of Texas Health Science Center at
120	119		Houston shall:
121	120		(1) as soon as practicable, apply for any available
122	121		federal money to assist in financing the competitive grant program
123	122		under Subchapter J, Chapter 73, Education Code, as added by this
124	123		Act, as required by Section 73.708, Education Code, as added by this
125	124		Act; and
126	125		(2) not later than December 1, 2022, submit a report to
127	126		the senate committee on education, or its successor, and the house
128	127		public education committee, or its successor, regarding the
129	128		implementation and status of the competitive grant program under
130	129		Subchapter J, Chapter 73, Education Code, as added by this Act.
131	130		SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.