Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1955 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R13401 KFF-D
2	2	By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 1955
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to a pilot program to identify and refer eligible children
8	8	to early childhood intervention services.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 3, Human Resources Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Chapter 75 to read as follows:
12	12	CHAPTER 75. 2-1-1 DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENING PILOT PROGRAM
13	13	Sec. 75.0001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
14	14	(1) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services
15	15	Commission.
16	16	(2) "Developmental delay" has the meaning assigned by
17	17	Section 73.001.
18	18	(3) "Early childhood intervention program" means the
19	19	program established under Chapter 73 to provide early childhood
20	20	intervention services in accordance with Part C, Individuals with
21	21	Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. Section 1431 et seq.).
22	22	(4) "Pilot program" means the 2-1-1 developmental
23	23	screening pilot program established under Section 75.0002.
24	24	(5) "2-1-1 operator" means the commission or the
25	25	person the commission contracts within a region of this state to
26	26	provide the 2-1-1 telephone number for access to human services.
27	27	Sec. 75.0002. 2-1-1 DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENING PILOT PROGRAM.
28	28	Not later than March 1, 2020, the commission shall develop and
29	29	implement a pilot program under which a 2-1-1 operator:
30	30	(1) offers and provides to the child of a consenting
31	31	parent or guardian who contacts the 2-1-1 operator a developmental
32	32	screening if the child is under three years of age; and
33	33	(2) if the developmental screening indicates the child
34	34	is at moderate to high risk of having a developmental delay or has a
35	35	medically diagnosed physical or mental condition that has a high
36	36	probability of resulting in a developmental disability, refers the
37	37	child to the early childhood intervention program.
38	38	Sec. 75.0003. LOCATION OF PILOT PROGRAM; SELECTION OF 2-1-1
39	39	OPERATOR. The commission shall implement the pilot program in one
40	40	service region or county in this state. The region or county in
41	41	which the pilot program is implemented must:
42	42	(1) contain at least one provider authorized to
43	43	provide services under the early childhood intervention program;
44	44	(2) have experienced a loss of providers under the
45	45	early childhood intervention program, as determined by the
46	46	commission; and
47	47	(3) be served by a 2-1-1 operator that:
48	48	(A) volunteers to administer the pilot program;
49	49	and
50	50	(B) has an existing relationship with at least
51	51	one of the authorized providers under the early childhood
52	52	intervention program.
53	53	Sec. 75.0004. SUPPORT OF COMMISSION. The commission shall
54	54	support the 2-1-1 operator selected to administer the pilot program
55	55	in any capacity necessary, including by:
56	56	(1) modifying the scripts used by individuals employed
57	57	by the 2-1-1 operator to answer calls made to the telephone number
58	58	in order to accurately identify children eligible for the
59	59	developmental screening under the pilot program;
60	60	(2) providing appropriate training to individuals
61	61	described by Subdivision (1) to identify children eligible for the
62	62	developmental screening under the pilot program;
63	63	(3) making the ability to request a developmental
64	64	screening available on the selected 2-1-1 operator's Internet
65	65	website; and
66	66	(4) providing information to the 2-1-1 operator
67	67	necessary to enable the operator to make referrals to the early
68	68	childhood intervention program.
69	69	Sec. 75.0005. REPORT. Not later than January 1, 2021, the
70	70	commission shall conduct an evaluation of the pilot program and
71	71	submit a report to the legislature. The report must:
72	72	(1) evaluate the operation of the pilot program;
73	73	(2) detail the number and demographic characteristics
74	74	of children:
75	75	(A) screened and referred to the early childhood
76	76	intervention program under the pilot program; and
77	77	(B) receiving services under the early childhood
78	78	intervention program as a result of having been referred to that
79	79	program under the pilot program; and
80	80	(3) make recommendations regarding the continuation
81	81	or expansion of the program.
82	82	Sec. 74.0006. EXPIRATION. This chapter expires September
83	83	1, 2023.
84	84	SECTION 2. If before implementing any provision of this Act
85	85	a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization, including
86	86	an amendment to the state plan for the child health plan program
87	87	under Chapter 62, Health and Safety Code, from a federal agency is
88	88	necessary for implementation of that provision, the agency affected
89	89	by the provision shall request the waiver or authorization and may
90	90	delay implementing that provision until the waiver or authorization
91	91	is granted.
92	92	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.