By McDonald, Coleman, et al.                          H.B. No. 1409
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to children and family issues, including health and human
    1-3  services issues.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subtitle B, Title 3, Human Resources Code, is
    1-6  amended by adding Chapter 72 to read as follows:
    1-7       CHAPTER 72.  LOCAL AND STATE COORDINATION OF DELIVERY OF
    1-8                   SERVICES TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
    1-9                   SUBCHAPTER A.  GENERAL PROVISIONS
   1-10        Sec. 72.001.  PURPOSE.  The purpose of this chapter is to
   1-11  ensure that all children will:
   1-12              (1)  live in stable, nurturing, and supportive
   1-13  families;
   1-14              (2)  be mentally and physically healthy;
   1-15              (3)  enter school able to learn to their fullest
   1-16  potential and be able to succeed in school; and
   1-17              (4)  develop into productive, law-abiding citizens.
   1-18        Sec. 72.002.  DEFINITIONS.  In this chapter:
   1-19              (1)  "Board" means the Legislative Health and Human
   1-20  Services Board created under Chapter 330, Government Code.
   1-21              (2)  "Child" means a person younger than 19 years of
   1-22  age.
   1-23              (3)  "Commission" means the Health and Human Services
    2-1  Commission.
    2-2              (4)  "Commissioner" means the commissioner of health
    2-3  and human services.
    2-4            (Sections 72.003-72.020 reserved for expansion
    2-5           SUBCHAPTER B.  STATE PARTICIPATION IN PARTNERSHIP
    2-6                 FOR SERVICES TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
    2-7        Sec. 72.021.  DESIGNATED STATE AGENCY.  (a)  The Health and
    2-8  Human Services Commission is the state agency responsible for
    2-9  providing leadership to ensure that the purposes of this chapter
   2-10  are realized.
   2-11        (b)  The commission may require health and human service,
   2-12  education, and juvenile justice agencies listed under Section
   2-13  72.022(a) to provide staff and other administrative support as
   2-14  necessary to assist the commission in discharging its
   2-15  responsibilities under this section.
   2-16        Sec. 72.022.  RESPONSIBILITIES OF STATE AGENCIES.  (a)  In
   2-17  conjunction with the commissioner of health and human services, the
   2-18  executive director, commissioner, or other executive head, as
   2-19  appropriate, of the following state agencies shall ensure that the
   2-20  agency under the person's direction adopts and implements the
   2-21  policies and procedures necessary to accomplish the objectives of
   2-22  this chapter except where those policies and procedures conflict
   2-23  with rules adopted by the elected board of the agency:
   2-24              (1)  Central Education Agency;
   2-25              (2)  Health and Human Services Commission;
    3-1              (3)  Department of Protective and Regulatory Services;
    3-2              (4)  Interagency Council on Early Childhood
    3-3  Intervention Services;
    3-4              (5)  Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse;
    3-5              (6)  Texas Commission for the Blind;
    3-6              (7)  Texas Department of Health;
    3-7              (8)  Texas Department of Human Services;
    3-8              (9)  Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental
    3-9  Retardation;
   3-10              (10)  Texas Juvenile Probation Commission;
   3-11              (11)  Texas Youth Commission;
   3-12              (12)  Texas Employment Commission; and
   3-13              (13)  Children's Trust Fund of Texas Council.
   3-14        (b)  The executive director, commissioner, or other executive
   3-15  head of an agency shall designate an employee of the agency to
   3-16  represent the agency, under the direction of the executive head,
   3-17  and assist the agency in carrying out the objectives of Subsection
   3-18  (f).
   3-19        (c)  The commissioner of health and human services and the
   3-20  commissioner of education shall regularly meet with the agency
   3-21  representatives to determine the progress made toward realizing the
   3-22  goals of Subsection (f).
   3-23        (d)  The representatives of the agencies shall meet at the
   3-24  call of the commissioner.
   3-25        (e)  Each agency is responsible for the expenses of that
    4-1  agency's representative.  An agency representative does not receive
    4-2  any additional compensation for representing the agency or for
    4-3  carrying out other duties under this chapter.
    4-4        (f)  The agencies shall collaborate under the direction of
    4-5  the commissioner to accomplish the following objectives:
    4-6              (1)  the establishment of a system to encourage and
    4-7  support the development of local child and family commissions
    4-8  throughout the state that includes the elimination of
    4-9  administrative or regulatory barriers and the provision of adequate
   4-10  technical assistance to those commissions;
   4-11              (2)  the development of a blueprint for children that
   4-12  establishes goals for children, that includes short-range and
   4-13  long-range strategies treating education, health and human
   4-14  services, and juvenile justice issues, and that accomplishes the
   4-15  purposes prescribed by Section 72.001;
   4-16              (3)  the definition of common, uniform, cross-agency
   4-17  outcome measures and a system of evaluation to measure the effects
   4-18  of agency programs for children and families;
   4-19              (4)  the initiation of strategies for refinancing
   4-20  children's services administered by state agencies to ensure the
   4-21  most effective use of federal, state, and local funds;
   4-22              (5)  the submission of a quarterly report to the board
   4-23  on progress in meeting the objectives of this subsection; and
   4-24              (6)  the response to other issues considering the
   4-25  recommendations of the board.
    5-1        (g)  The executive director, commissioner, or other executive
    5-2  head of each agency shall ensure that the strategic plan, budget,
    5-3  and performance measures of the agency reflect the joint
    5-4  responsibilities listed in Subsection (f).
    5-5        (h)  The commissioner may solicit the participation of other
    5-6  agencies involved in child and family issues, including
    5-7  institutions of higher education, to accomplish the purposes of
    5-8  this section.
    5-9            (Sections 72.023-72.030 reserved for expansion
   5-10           SUBCHAPTER C.  LOCAL CHILD AND FAMILY COMMISSIONS
   5-11        Sec. 72.031.  DEFINITION.  In this subchapter, "local
   5-12  commission" means a local child and family commission certified by
   5-13  the commission under this subchapter.
   5-14        Sec. 72.032.  CERTIFICATION OF LOCAL COMMISSIONS.  (a)  The
   5-15  commission shall annually solicit applications for new local
   5-16  commissions.  A commissioners court of a county may submit a
   5-17  proposal for a local commission.
   5-18        (b)  A proposal submitted under this section must:
   5-19              (1)  demonstrate that the applicant has consulted with
   5-20  local governments and other public entities, nonprofit
   5-21  organizations, voluntary associations, representatives of
   5-22  low-income persons, and other groups involved in providing health
   5-23  and human services or funding for those services about the needs of
   5-24  the community and how to meet those needs; and
   5-25              (2)  identify the proposed membership of the local
    6-1  commission.
    6-2        (c)  The commission shall adopt rules to provide technical
    6-3  support to the local commissions and assist them to eliminate
    6-4  administrative and regulatory barriers.
    6-5        (d)  A local commission may serve one or more counties, but a
    6-6  county may not be served by more than one local commission.
    6-7        Sec. 72.033.  MEMBERSHIP OF LOCAL COMMISSIONS.  (a)  The
    6-8  commissioners court of the county or counties served by the local
    6-9  commission shall appoint the following to the local commission:
   6-10              (1)  a member of the governing body of the most
   6-11  populous municipality located in the county and a member of the
   6-12  governing body of one other municipality located in the county;
   6-13              (2)  a member of the commissioners court of the county;
   6-14              (3)  an elected school board member from any
   6-15  participating public school district in the county;
   6-16              (4)  a member of the local juvenile board;
   6-17              (5)  a child protective services administrator;
   6-18              (6)  a representative from a civic, religious, or
   6-19  community-based organization;
   6-20              (7)  an appointee from the Head Start agency; and
   6-21              (8)  a member of any other entity that submits the
   6-22  proposal for a local commission under Section 72.032(a).
   6-23        (b)  The local commission may appoint such advisory
   6-24  committees as necessary to satisfy requirements for federal funds
   6-25  and to qualify representation in the incident where a local
    7-1  commission is established by two or more counties.
    7-2        (c)  The commissioners court shall select new members for the
    7-3  local commission as needed.  At all times the membership of the
    7-4  local commission shall be as designated in Section 72.033.
    7-5        Sec. 72.034.  ADMINISTRATION OF LOCAL COMMISSIONS.  Members
    7-6  of a local commission serve without compensation, but a member may
    7-7  be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred in the performance of
    7-8  the member's official duties.  Expenses under this subsection must
    7-9  be reported in the local commission's records and must be approved
   7-10  by the commission.
   7-11        Sec. 72.035.  POWERS, DUTIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF LOCAL
   7-12  COMMISSIONS.  (a)  A local commission shall:
   7-13              (1)  assess the need for child and family services and
   7-14  available resources in the community served by the local
   7-15  commission;
   7-16              (2)  monitor the effectiveness and efficiency with
   7-17  which public and private organizations that receive public money
   7-18  deliver child and family services;
   7-19              (3)  develop and submit to the commission local
   7-20  strategic plans for services for children and families that are
   7-21  related to the purposes of this chapter listed under Section
   7-22  72.001, including local budgetary priorities and proposals for
   7-23  alternative delivery systems;
   7-24              (4)  mobilize public, business, and voluntary agency
   7-25  partnerships and promote the use of individual volunteers;
    8-1              (5)  foster the development of new services to meet
    8-2  family needs more effectively, including services aimed at
    8-3  preventing child abuse, poverty, malnutrition, failure in school,
    8-4  juvenile delinquency, and other social ills;
    8-5              (6)  ensure fiscal efficiency by maximizing the use of
    8-6  local, state, and federal funds, as appropriate; and
    8-7              (7)  ensure program effectiveness and fiscal
    8-8  accountability in the delivery of child and family services.
    8-9        (b)  A local commission has all of the powers necessary for
   8-10  the effective operation of the local commission, including the
   8-11  power to:
   8-12              (1)  contract for assistance in administration or
   8-13  management of the commission and for services to administer its
   8-14  funds;
   8-15              (2)  pay all operating expenses by warrants drawn on
   8-16  funds available for that purpose; and
   8-17              (3)  accept gifts and grants from any source to finance
   8-18  its programs and facilities.
   8-19        Sec. 72.036.  LOCAL GRANTS; NOTICE.  (a)  A municipality,
   8-20  county, or political subdivision may provide a grant to a local
   8-21  commission to achieve the purposes of this chapter.
   8-22        (b)  A local commission shall allow adequate notice and
   8-23  opportunity for public comment, including comments from the
   8-24  entities listed in Section 72.032(b)(1), before contracting for
   8-25  services.
    9-1        Sec. 72.037.  ANNUAL AUDIT.  (a)  A local commission shall
    9-2  contract with an independent auditor for an annual financial audit.
    9-3        (b)  The state auditor shall, with the advice of the
    9-4  commission, develop standardized forms and schedules for a local
    9-5  commission to use in conducting an annual financial audit.  A local
    9-6  commission shall use the forms and schedules developed by the state
    9-7  auditor for its annual financial audit.
    9-8        Sec. 72.038.  LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.  (a)  A local
    9-9  commission is a governmental unit for purposes of Chapter 101,
   9-10  Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
   9-11        (b)  A member of a local commission is not liable for civil
   9-12  damages for any act performed in good faith in the execution of
   9-13  duties as a commission member or for an action taken by the
   9-14  commission.
   9-15            (Sections 72.039-72.050 reserved for expansion
   9-16       SUBCHAPTER D.  STATE GRANTS AND STATE AGENCY COOPERATION
   9-17        Sec. 72.051.  FUNDS AVAILABILITY.  (a)  In conjunction with
   9-18  the agencies listed under Section 72.022(a) and the Legislative
   9-19  Budget Board, the commission shall develop a budget mechanism to:
   9-20              (1)  combine state and federal funds to provide grants
   9-21  to local child and family commissions established under Subchapter
   9-22  C; and
   9-23              (2)  distribute grant funds that may be appropriated by
   9-24  the legislature for local child and family commissions.
   9-25        (b)  The Legislative Budget Board, at the request of the
   10-1  commission, may transfer appropriations from state child-serving
   10-2  agencies to the commission in accordance with Subsection (a)(1).
   10-3        (c)  A grant to a local child and family commission made
   10-4  under this section must:
   10-5              (1)  be distributed locally for services that promote
   10-6  the social, emotional, or physical well-being of children and
   10-7  promote family support; and
   10-8              (2)  be matched by local resources, in cash or in kind,
   10-9  equal to at least one-quarter of the grant amount, except as
  10-10  provided by Subsection (e).
  10-11        (d)  The commission by rule shall provide for the
  10-12  distribution of available funds based on a county's child
  10-13  population and per capita income.
  10-14        (e)  The commission may modify the match amount required by
  10-15  Subsection (c) if the modification is necessary to accomplish the
  10-16  effective distribution of funds.  If the commission modifies the
  10-17  match formula, the modification shall apply to all applicants for
  10-18  funds under this section.
  10-19        (f)  The commission may retain not more than two percent of
  10-20  any funds appropriated for state grants under this section and may
  10-21  use those funds only for the administration of the grant program at
  10-22  the state level and for carrying out the duties prescribed by
  10-23  Section 72.022.
  10-24        (g)  The value of an in-kind match of local resources made
  10-25  under Subsection (c)(2) is equal to the fair market value of the
   11-1  resources received, except that personal services may not be valued
   11-2  for any purpose in an amount that exceeds $12 an hour.
   11-3        Sec. 72.052.  COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE GRANTS.  (a)  The
   11-4  commission by rule shall provide a procedure by which it may make a
   11-5  small assistance grant to a local community on its certification to
   11-6  provide an incentive to establish a local child and family
   11-7  commission and support its initial operation.
   11-8        (b)  If funds are available, the commission may provide an
   11-9  assistance grant to a local community on certification of a local
  11-10  child and family commission.  A grant under this subsection:
  11-11              (1)  must be in proportion to the child population of
  11-12  the county, not to exceed $50,000 in a large urban area;
  11-13              (2)  must be matched by local resources, in cash or in
  11-14  kind, equal to at least one-half of the amount of the assistance
  11-15  grant; and
  11-16              (3)  may not be for a period greater than one year.
  11-17        (c)  The value of an in-kind match of local resources made
  11-18  under Subsection (b)(2) is equal to the fair market value of the
  11-19  resources received, except that personal services may not be valued
  11-20  for any purpose in an amount that exceeds $12 an hour.
  11-21        Sec. 72.053.  COOPERATION WITH STATE AGENCIES; PERSONNEL.
  11-22  (a)  A local child and family commission shall cooperate with the
  11-23  commission in setting performance standards and evaluating results
  11-24  for child and family programs for which the local commission and
  11-25  the commission have responsibilities.
   12-1        (b)  The commission shall assist local child and family
   12-2  commissions in obtaining state employees to work under local
   12-3  supervision while engaged in programs serving children and
   12-4  families.
   12-5        (c)  A state agency must receive approval for a new program
   12-6  in the health and human services area in a community that has a
   12-7  local child and family commission.
   12-8            (Sections 72.054-72.070 reserved for expansion
   12-9                SUBCHAPTER E.  MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
  12-10        Sec. 72.071.  COLLABORATION AGREEMENTS.  (a)  State and local
  12-11  agencies that serve children and families, including local child
  12-12  and family commissions established under Subchapter C, may enter
  12-13  into collaboration agreements to accomplish the purposes prescribed
  12-14  by Section 72.001.
  12-15        (b)  A collaboration agreement may involve education,
  12-16  vocational rehabilitation, health, mental health, employment and
  12-17  training, child welfare, social services, juvenile justice, and
  12-18  other services or programs designated by the commission.
  12-19        Sec. 72.072.  FUNDS.  All funds received by the commission
  12-20  under this chapter are subject to Subchapter F, Chapter 404,
  12-21  Government Code.
  12-22        SECTION 2.  Chapter 32, Health and Safety Code, is amended by
  12-23  adding Section 32.022 to read as follows:
  12-24        Sec. 32.022.  PRENATAL CARE PUBLIC AWARENESS PROGRAM.  (a)
  12-25  The department shall establish a program to promote public
   13-1  awareness of the importance of prenatal care.
   13-2        (b)  The public awareness program shall:
   13-3              (1)  focus on the benefits of early and ongoing
   13-4  prenatal care, including the reduction of low birth weights and
   13-5  infant mortality; and
   13-6              (2)  target low-income areas of the state.
   13-7        (c)  The public awareness program shall not provide
   13-8  counseling or referral regarding abortion or abortion services.
   13-9        (d)  To conduct the public awareness program required by this
  13-10  section, the department shall utilize, among other resources, the
  13-11  network of local coalitions developed by the department to promote
  13-12  its immunization public awareness program.
  13-13        SECTION 3.  (a)  In accordance with Section 72.022, Human
  13-14  Resources Code, as added by this Act, the commissioner of health
  13-15  and human services, in collaboration with the agencies listed in
  13-16  Section 72.022(a), Human Resources Code, shall coordinate the
  13-17  program services, eligibility requirements, funding, enrollment
  13-18  periods, fees, and administrative functions of the following
  13-19  programs by no later than December 1, 1997:
  13-20              (1)  the child care programs of the Texas Department of
  13-21  Human Services;
  13-22              (2)  the prekindergarten programs of the Central
  13-23  Education Agency; and
  13-24              (3)  the federal Head Start programs.
  13-25        (b)  The commissioner of health and human services shall
   14-1  report the results of the initiative prescribed by this Act to
   14-2  coordinate the delivery of services to children and families to the
   14-3  legislature on or before December 1, 1997.
   14-4        SECTION 4.  (a)  The Texas Department of Health shall develop
   14-5  a plan to increase accessibility of dental services for children
   14-6  that targets children who are eligible for but are not receiving
   14-7  medical assistance.  In developing the plan, the department shall:
   14-8              (1)  explore the extent of services needed to reach all
   14-9  eligible children;
  14-10              (2)  determine the most appropriate age to target
  14-11  children for preventive services;
  14-12              (3)  determine how to better use preventive care;
  14-13              (4)  examine the expansion of school-based services for
  14-14  early diagnostic screening;
  14-15              (5)  consider the need for dental equipment, including
  14-16  mobile units, portable equipment, and computer equipment;
  14-17              (6)  consider involving private practitioners by
  14-18  exploring the following possibilities:
  14-19                    (A)  increasing compensation for services;
  14-20                    (B)  forgiving school loans for participating
  14-21  dentists;
  14-22                    (C)  requiring 40 hours a year of mandatory
  14-23  services for children in the early and periodic screening,
  14-24  diagnosis, and treatment program or for other children eligible for
  14-25  state services; and
   15-1                    (D)  creating a formal structure to bring
   15-2  dentists into schools;
   15-3              (7)  investigate alternative methods to educate parents
   15-4  about the causes and prevention of baby bottle tooth decay; and
   15-5              (8)  consider requiring fluoridation of all major water
   15-6  supplies.
   15-7        (b)  Using existing departmental resources, the department
   15-8  shall prepare the plan required by this section and the projected
   15-9  budget for that plan not later than September 1, 1996.  The Texas
  15-10  Board of Health may appoint a special task force to help the
  15-11  department in preparing this plan.  The department shall present
  15-12  the plan and budget to the 75th Legislature not later than
  15-13  February 1, 1997.
  15-14        (c)  This section expires June 1, 1997.
  15-15        SECTION 5.  (a)  The Texas Department of Mental Health and
  15-16  Mental Retardation shall develop a plan for providing services to
  15-17  children with severe mental or emotional disorders who require
  15-18  residential treatment.  The plan must provide:
  15-19              (1)  that residential treatment and related services
  15-20  for children be provided regionally;
  15-21              (2)  for a child who has a functional family to remain
  15-22  in parental custody while receiving treatment or related services;
  15-23              (3)  for coordination of state mental health facilities
  15-24  and community service providers;
  15-25              (4)  specific legislative recommendations for statutory
   16-1  authority to pool funds used by various state agencies to provide
   16-2  residential treatment and related services to children;
   16-3              (5)  to the extent practicable, that funds available
   16-4  under Title IV-E, federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Section
   16-5  670 et seq.), pay for services for those children who are
   16-6  Medicaid-eligible and in need of residential treatment; and
   16-7              (6)  that third-party payor financial resources are
   16-8  exhausted before state money is used.
   16-9        (b)  In developing the plan, the Texas Department of Mental
  16-10  Health and Mental Retardation shall consider whether to include in
  16-11  the plan provisions:
  16-12              (1)  to establish and employ indicators to identify
  16-13  children with mental or emotional disorders who would be better
  16-14  served outside of the home;
  16-15              (2)  to use community mental health centers or
  16-16  community resources to review children's cases individually;
  16-17              (3)  to create therapeutic group homes in communities;
  16-18  and
  16-19              (4)  for payment of services on a sliding scale.
  16-20        (c)  The Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental
  16-21  Retardation shall complete the plan, together with an estimated
  16-22  budget and recommendations for statutory changes necessary or
  16-23  convenient to implement the plan, not later than January 15, 1997.
  16-24  On completion, the department shall submit the plan to the governor
  16-25  and the legislature.
   17-1        (d)  This section expires June 1, 1997.
   17-2        SECTION 6.  (a)  The comptroller shall establish a pilot
   17-3  project to determine the effectiveness of using investment
   17-4  budgeting to measure the cost-effectiveness of certain children's
   17-5  prevention services.
   17-6        (b)  As part of the investment budgeting process, the
   17-7  comptroller shall:
   17-8              (1)  establish clear visions and goals and measurable
   17-9  outcomes that clarify those visions and goals;
  17-10              (2)  establish and estimate the value of the outcomes
  17-11  the comptroller wants to achieve;
  17-12              (3)  estimate the unit cost of achieving those
  17-13  outcomes; and
  17-14              (4)  compute the anticipated return on investing in
  17-15  programs to achieve those outcomes.
  17-16        (c)  The comptroller shall consider including the children's
  17-17  immunization programs in determining which children's prevention
  17-18  services will be examined in the pilot project.
  17-19        (d)  Not later than January 15, 1997, the comptroller shall
  17-20  submit to the governor and the 75th Legislature a report concerning
  17-21  the effectiveness of the pilot project.
  17-22        (e)  This section expires September 1, 1997.
  17-23        SECTION 7.  The Texas Department of Health shall establish
  17-24  the prenatal care public awareness program required by Section
  17-25  32.022, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act, not later
   18-1  than January 1, 1996.
   18-2        SECTION 8.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   18-3        SECTION 9.  The importance of this legislation and the
   18-4  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   18-5  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   18-6  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   18-7  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.