By: Rose H.B. No. 5615
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the establishment of a grant program for preventing
violence and substance abuse in public schools.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 38, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 38.029 to read as follows:
Sec. 38.029. VIOLENCE AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION GRANT
PROGRAM. (a) From money appropriated or otherwise available for
the purpose, the agency shall establish and administer a grant
program to award grants to eligible school districts to implement a
violence and substance abuse prevention program that includes
opioid abuse prevention.
(b) A school district is eligible to receive a grant under
the grant program if the district demonstrates a need for violence
and substance abuse prevention initiatives based on:
(1) incidents of violence or issues related to
substance abuse, including opioid and alcohol abuse;
(2) high rates of suspensions or expulsions from
school or law enforcement interactions related to violence or
controlled substances; and
(3) a demonstrated desire to implement proactive,
non-punitive measures that address both violence and the opioid
epidemic.
(c) An eligible school district may submit to the agency an
application to receive a grant under the grant program that
includes:
(1) an assessment of the district's needs relating to
violence and substance abuse issues;
(2) a plan for implementing a violence interrupters
program that may include a partnership with a community-based
organization, and will train staff, mediate conflicts, mentor
students, and intervene in situations of potential violence or
substance abuse before the situations escalate, including
proposals regarding staffing, training, and community
partnerships; and
(3) a budget outlining the use of grant money.
(d) The amount of a grant awarded under the grant program to
a school district must be based on:
(1) the number of students enrolled in the district;
(2) the district's need for the grant, based on
incidents of violence and substance abuse; and
(3) the quality and comprehensiveness of the
district's proposed violence interrupters program described by
Subsection (c)(2), including the integration of substance abuse
prevention efforts.
(e) A school district that receives a grant under the grant
program may partner with a community-based organization to use the
money to implement a violence and substance abuse prevention
program described by Subsection (a), including by:
(1) hiring and training employees to prevent violence
and substance abuse by specializing in de-escalation, conflict
mediation, and violence prevention;
(2) hiring and training substance abuse counselors;
(3) implementing support services for students to
prevent violence and substance abuse, including drug education,
counseling, conflict mediation, and mentoring;
(4) providing resources focused on preventing
violence and substance abuse, such as educational materials,
workshops, and community outreach programs; and
(5) evaluating and reporting on the outcomes and
effectiveness of the program in preventing violence and substance
abuse.
(f) A school district that receives a grant under the grant
program may partner with a community-based organization to develop
and execute a violence interrupter and substance abuse program for
use by the school district to educate students on a violence
interruption and substance abuse prevention techniques described
by Subsection (c)(2). The program must:
(1) include:
(A) substance abuse prevention and intervention
strategies;
(B) participation in violence abatement by
directly interacting with students; and
(C) de-escalation techniques, conflict
resolution, trauma-informed care, substance abuse intervention,
and restorative justice practices; and
(2) be offered on a continuous basis to ensure staff
and student effectiveness in addressing violence and substance
abuse; and
(3) be designed to:
(A) meet specific campus and community needs
identified by school districts and community-based organizations;
and
(B) address external, community-based factors
that affect school safety.
(g) A school district that receives a grant under the grant
program shall submit an annual report to the agency regarding:
(1) the use of grant money received under the grant
program; and
(2) the outcomes and effectiveness of the measures to
prevent violence and substance abuse implemented with the grant,
including:
(A) the number of violence and substance abuse
incidents intervened; and
(B) data on:
(i) reductions in violence and substance
abuse;
(ii) improvements in attendance and
academic performance; and
(iii) student, staff, and community
feedback on safety and substance abuse prevention.
(h) The agency shall annually conduct a statewide
evaluation of the effectiveness of violence interrupters programs
described by Subsection (c)(2) in addressing violence and substance
abuse and submit to the legislature a report on the evaluation. The
evaluation must include a cost-benefit analysis regarding the grant
program and any recommendations for improvements to or expansions
of the grant program.
(i) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to
administer the grant program.
(j) This section expires September 1, 2030.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2025.