Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3989 Compare Versions

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Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R14160 MPF-D
2	2	By: Walle H.B. No. 3989
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the establishment of the supporting life pilot program
10	10	as part of the Thriving Texas Families Program.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Chapter 54, Health and Safety Code, as added by
13	13	Chapter 1033 (S.B. 24), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular
14	14	Session, 2023, is amended by adding Section 54.012 to read as
15	15	follows:
16	16	Sec. 54.012. SUPPORTING LIFE PILOT PROGRAM. (a) In this
17	17	section:
18	18	(1) "Advisory board" means the supporting life pilot
19	19	program advisory board established under this section.
20	20	(2) "Pilot program" means the supporting life pilot
21	21	program established under this section.
22	22	(b) The commission shall establish the supporting life
23	23	pilot program to further the goals of the Thriving Texas Families
24	24	Program by contracting with service providers to provide care
25	25	coordination and support services to pregnant teenagers and by
26	26	establishing a centralized facility the commission owns and
27	27	operates for provision of services under the pilot program. The
28	28	commission shall operate the pilot program in a county with a
29	29	population of 4 million or more.
30	30	(c) The pilot program services must include:
31	31	(1) housing services;
32	32	(2) child care services for children 36 months of age
33	33	and younger;
34	34	(3) early childhood or prekindergarten educational
35	35	services;
36	36	(4) services provided by a community health worker, as
37	37	defined by Section 48.001;
38	38	(5) the provision of educational materials on
39	39	pregnancy and parenting;
40	40	(6) the provision of counseling and therapy services
41	41	for pregnant individuals and parents;
42	42	(7) the provision of parenting classes;
43	43	(8) services designed to support access to educational
44	44	opportunities for pregnant individuals and parents, including by
45	45	coordinating with counseling and planning services for trade or
46	46	vocational schools and institutions of higher education, as defined
47	47	by Section 61.003, Education Code; and
48	48	(9) the provision of group activities involving
49	49	community, educational, recreational, or social functions to
50	50	promote the health and well-being of families.
51	51	(d) The commission shall operate the pilot program in
52	52	consultation with the supporting life pilot program advisory board.
53	53	The advisory board is composed of five members appointed by the
54	54	executive commissioner.
55	55	(e) The commission, in consultation with the advisory
56	56	board, shall hire an executive director. The executive director
57	57	shall manage the pilot program, including hiring personnel and
58	58	managing a budget for the pilot program.
59	59	(f) The executive commissioner by rule shall establish
60	60	minimum qualifications for an individual serving as the executive
61	61	director under Subsection (e).
62	62	(g) To be eligible to participate in the pilot program, an
63	63	individual must:
64	64	(1) be 11 years of age or older but younger than 21
65	65	years of age;
66	66	(2) be expecting a child or be the parent of a child
67	67	who is 36 months of age or younger; and
68	68	(3) have resided in the county in which the pilot
69	69	program operates for at least one year before applying to
70	70	participate in the pilot program.
71	71	(h) In evaluating applications for participation in the
72	72	pilot program, the commission, in consultation with the advisory
73	73	board, shall prioritize unhoused individuals who meet the
74	74	eligibility requirements described by Subsection (g).
75	75	(i) Not later than December 1 of each year, the commission,
76	76	in consultation with the advisory board, shall prepare and submit
77	77	to the legislature a written report on:
78	78	(1) the outcomes of participants receiving services
79	79	under the pilot program;
80	80	(2) trends in the coordination of care and the use and
81	81	availability of support services with the implementation of the
82	82	pilot program; and
83	83	(3) any recommendations for legislative or other
84	84	action.
85	85	(j) The pilot program terminates, the advisory board is
86	86	abolished, and this section expires January 1, 2032.
87	87	SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2026, the executive
88	88	commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission shall
89	89	appoint the supporting life pilot program advisory board members as
90	90	required by Section 54.012(d), Health and Safety Code, as added by
91	91	this Act.
92	92	SECTION 3. Not later than January 1, 2027, the executive
93	93	commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission shall
94	94	establish the supporting life pilot program as required by Section
95	95	54.012, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act, including by
96	96	adopting rules as necessary to implement that section.
97	97	SECTION 4. Notwithstanding Section 54.012(i), Health and
98	98	Safety Code, as added by this Act, the Health and Human Services
99	99	Commission and the supporting life pilot program advisory board
100	100	shall submit the first report required by that subsection not later
101	101	than December 1, 2027.
102	102	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.