Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1528 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	By: Paxton S.B. No. 1528
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to prevention and early intervention services by the
7	7	Department of Family and Protective Services.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. The purpose for this Act is to improve the
10	10	delivery of prevention and early intervention services for certain
11	11	children while maximizing the efficient use of taxpayer dollars
12	12	through a community-based approach.
13	13	SECTION 2. Section 265.007, Family Code, is amended to read
14	14	as follows:
15	15	Sec. 265.007. IMPROVING PROVISION OF PREVENTION AND EARLY
16	16	INTERVENTION SERVICES. (a) In this section, "adverse childhood
17	17	experience" means a potentially traumatic event that occurs in the
18	18	life of a person younger than 18 years of age, including:
19	19	(1) abuse as defined by Section 261.001, Family Code;
20	20	(2) family violence as defined by Section 71.004,
21	21	Family Code;
22	22	(3) neglect as defined by Section 261.001, Family
23	23	Code;
24	24	(4) death of a parent; and
25	25	(5) substance use disorder, mental illness, or
26	26	incarceration of a member of a child's household.
27	27	(a-1) To improve the effectiveness and delivery of
28	28	prevention and early intervention services, the department shall:
29	29	(1) identify geographic areas that have a high need
30	30	for prevention and early intervention services but do not have
31	31	prevention and early intervention services available in the area or
32	32	have only unevaluated prevention and early intervention services
33	33	available in the area; [and]
34	34	(2) develop a request for information to assist the
35	35	department in the development of the strategic plan described in
36	36	Section 265.005 to improve prevention and early intervention
37	37	services;
38	38	(3) send the request for information developed under
39	39	Subdivision (2) to a diverse set of stakeholders and providers
40	40	throughout the state, including:
41	41	(A) state and local agencies and nonprofit
42	42	organizations that work directly with children and families;
43	43	(B) child welfare service providers;
44	44	(C) early childhood education programs;
45	45	(D) public schools;
46	46	(E) medical and mental health service providers;
47	47	(F) family support and social services
48	48	providers;
49	49	(G) the law enforcement, judicial, and criminal
50	50	justice communities;
51	51	(H) faith-based organizations;
52	52	(I) the intellectual or developmental disability
53	53	community;
54	54	(J) families and children impacted by child
55	55	abuse, neglect, and other adverse childhood experiences;
56	56	(K) the business and philanthropic communities;
57	57	and
58	58	(L) single source continuum contractors; and
59	59	(4) in collaboration with the Health and Human
60	60	Services Commission, the Department of State Health Services, the
61	61	Texas Education Agency, the Texas Workforce Commission, and the
62	62	Office of the Attorney General:
63	63	(A) develop an inventory of programs and services
64	64	that are funded by the state that contribute to the prevention of
65	65	child abuse, neglect, and other adverse childhood experiences;
66	66	(B) develop an inventory of programs and services
67	67	that are provided by other entities, including those listed in
68	68	Section 265.007(a-1)(3), Family Code, that contribute to the
69	69	prevention of child abuse, neglect, and other adverse childhood
70	70	experiences;
71	71	(C) facilitate opportunities to increase
72	72	collaboration for the effective expenditure of available federal
73	73	and state funds and better leverage public and private partnerships
74	74	to increase efficiency; and
75	75	(D) develop strategies for community partners
76	76	to:
77	77	(i) [(A)] improve the early recognition of
78	78	child abuse or neglect;
79	79	(ii) [(B)] improve the reporting of child
80	80	abuse and neglect; [and]
81	81	(iii) [(C)] reduce child fatalities;
82	82	(iv) improve the ability of community
83	83	partners to distinguish situations in which a child is in imminent
84	84	danger from situations in which the child and child's family would
85	85	be better served by providing community-based services; and
86	86	(v) implement cross-sector, evidence-based
87	87	practices that prevent adverse childhood experiences.
88	88	(b) The entities listed in Subsection (a-1)(4) shall:
89	89	(1) use a community awareness approach to implement
90	90	the strategies and recommendations developed under this section;
91	91	and
92	92	(2) request information and invite comment from
93	93	representatives of single source continuum contractors.
94	94	(c) The department may not use data techniques, including
95	95	predictive analytics, risk-based modeling, and other similar
96	96	assessments, to develop, deliver, or implement prevention and early
97	97	intervention services as it relates to adverse childhood
98	98	experiences.
99	99	(d) The department may not use data gathered under this
100	100	section to identify a specific family or individual.
101	101	SECTION 3. Not later than December 1, 2022, the Department
102	102	of Family and Protective Services shall submit a report to the
103	103	legislature and the governor that includes:
104	104	(1) a summary of community feedback, available data,
105	105	best practices, and implementable changes within the entities
106	106	listed in Section 265.007(a-1)(4), Family Code, as added by this
107	107	Act, with regard to the progress of efforts made under Section
108	108	265.007, Family Code, as amended by this Act; and
109	109	(2) specific short-term and long-term statutory,
110	110	administrative, and budget-related recommendations for reforms
111	111	necessary to improve the delivery of prevention and intervention
112	112	services across state agencies.
113	113	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.