88R6106 AMF-F
 
  By: Hinojosa S.B. No. 1841
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to family violence center services for victims of family
  violence.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 51.002, Human Resources Code, is amended
  by amending Subdivisions (1), (2), and (9) and adding Subdivisions
  (1-a), (1-b), and (1-c) to read as follows:
               (1)  "Culturally relevant" in regard to a service or
  practice means that the service is provided or practice is engaged
  in a manner that is inclusive of an individual's identity and
  linguistic and cultural background.
               (1-a)  "Dating relationship" has the meaning assigned
  by Section 71.0021(b), Family Code.
               (1-b)  "Dating violence" means an act, other than a
  defensive measure to protect oneself, by an individual against
  another individual with whom the actor has or has had a dating
  relationship and that is:
                     (A)  intended to result in physical harm, bodily
  injury, assault, or sexual assault;
                     (B)  a threat that reasonably places an individual
  in fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or
  sexual assault; or
                     (C)  intended to inflict emotional harm,
  including an act of emotional abuse.
               (1-c)  "Family" has the meaning assigned by Section
  71.003, Family Code.
               (2)  "Family violence" means:
                     (A)  an act by a member of a family or household
  against another member of the family or household that:
                           (i) [(A)]  is intended to result in physical
  harm, bodily injury, assault, or sexual assault or that is a threat
  that reasonably places the member in fear of imminent physical
  harm, bodily injury, assault, or sexual assault, but does not
  include defensive measures to protect oneself; or
                           (ii) [(B)]  is intended to inflict emotional
  harm, including an act of emotional abuse; or
                     (B)  dating violence.
               (9)  "Victim of family violence" means:
                     (A)  an adult member of a family or household who
  is subjected to an act of family violence; [or]
                     (B)  a member of the household of the adult
  described by Paragraph (A), other than the member of the household
  who commits the act of family violence, including an act of
  emotional abuse; or
                     (C)  an individual who is subjected to an act of
  dating violence.
         SECTION 2.  Sections 51.004(a) and (b), Human Resources
  Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  To be eligible for a contract under Section 51.003(a), a
  family violence shelter center must:
               (1)  provide temporary lodging and direct delivery of
  services for adults and their dependents;
               (2)  have been in actual operation offering shelter
  services 24 hours a day with a capacity for not less than five
  persons for at least one year before the date on which the contract
  is awarded;
               (3)  demonstrate that the center, through the services
  it provides, is addressing a need in the community consistent with
  the plan for family violence services under Section 51.0021; [and]
               (4)  demonstrate that the center is using a culturally
  relevant and trauma-informed advocacy service model; and
               (5)  submit a contract application on forms prescribed
  by the commission.
         (b)  To be eligible for a contract under Section 51.003(a), a
  family violence nonresidential center must:
               (1)  provide, as its primary purpose, direct delivery
  of services to adult victims of family violence;
               (2)  demonstrate a system of referring victims of
  family violence to at least one family violence shelter center or
  other safe temporary lodging;
               (3)  have been operating and providing comprehensive
  services, including the services described by Section
  51.005(b)(3), to victims of family violence for at least one year
  before the date on which the contract is awarded;
               (4)  demonstrate that the center, through the services
  it provides, is addressing a need in the community consistent with
  the plan for family violence services under Section 51.0021; [and]
               (5)  demonstrate that the center is using a culturally
  relevant and trauma-informed advocacy service model; and
               (6)  submit a contract application on forms prescribed
  by the commission.
         SECTION 3.  Section 51.005, Human Resources Code, is amended
  by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to read as
  follows:
         (b)  The contracts shall require the persons operating a
  family violence center to:
               (1)  make a quarterly and an annual financial report on
  a form prescribed by the commission;
               (2)  cooperate with inspections the commission makes to
  ensure services standards and fiscal responsibility; and
               (3)  provide, as its primary purpose, culturally
  relevant and trauma-informed services to victims of family violence
  that include:
                     (A)  24-hour-a-day shelter, except that a family
  violence nonresidential center may provide access to a
  24-hour-a-day shelter;
                     (B)  a 24-hour-a-day crisis hotline, except that a
  family violence nonresidential center may provide access to a
  24-hour-a-day crisis hotline operated by another organization
  located in the nonresidential center's service area;
                     (C)  [access to emergency medical care;
                     [(D)]  intervention services, including [safety
  planning,] understanding and support, information, education,
  referrals, advocacy, and other resource assistance for:
                           (i)  economic and housing stability;
                           (ii)  obtaining treatment for physical,
  behavioral, and mental health;
                           (iii)  the needs of children who are victims
  and the children of victims; and
                           (iv)  participating in the civil and
  criminal justice systems;
                     (D)  safety planning services in collaboration
  with the self-stated priorities and needs of the victim of family
  violence;
                     (E)  community education regarding family
  violence and family violence prevention efforts [access to
  emergency transportation];
                     (F)  counseling services [legal assistance in the
  civil and criminal justice systems, including:
                           [(i)  identifying individual needs, legal
  rights, and legal options]; and
                           [(ii)  providing support and accompaniment
  in pursuing those options;]
                     (G)  peer support services that facilitate
  connections between victims to create community [information about
  educational arrangements for children;
                     [(H)  information about training for and seeking
  employment;
                     [(I)  cooperation with criminal justice
  officials;
                     [(J)  community education;
                     [(K)  a referral system to existing community
  services; and
                     [(L)  a volunteer recruitment and training
  program].
         (b-1)  The contracts shall prohibit the persons operating a
  family violence center from requiring a victim of family violence
  to participate in other services as a condition of receiving
  shelter.
         SECTION 4.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  a contract entered into on or after the effective date of this Act.  
  A contract entered into before the effective date of this Act is
  governed by the law in effect on the date the contract was entered
  into, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.