S.B. No. 452
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 or promising [practice parenting education] 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 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) or 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) 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 or practice
manual or design that specifies the purpose, outcomes, duration,
and frequency of the program or practice services; [and]
(6) employs well-trained and competent staff and
provides continual relevant professional development opportunities
to the staff; and
(7) is associated with an organization in this state,
a national organization, an institution of higher education, or a
national or state public health institute.
(c) A promising [practice] program or practice is a
[parenting education] program or practice that:
(1) has an active impact evaluation of the program or
practice or demonstrates a schedule for implementing an active
impact evaluation of the program or practice;
(2) 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 or practice
manual or design that specifies the purpose, outcomes, duration,
and frequency of the program or practice 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- or practice-determined
[program-determined] outcomes.
(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 of the program or
practice or demonstrates a schedule for implementing an active
impact evaluation of the program or practice;
(3) substantially complies with a program or practice
manual or design that specifies the purpose, outcome, duration, and
frequency of the program or practice 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.
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, 2021.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 452 passed the Senate on
April 29, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0; and that
the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 29, 2021, by the
following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 452 passed the House, with
amendment, on May 26, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 95,
Nays 48, two present not voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Approved:
______________________________
Date
______________________________
Governor