By Wise H.B. No. 1914 75R5633 SAW-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the powers and duties of the Children's Trust Fund of 1-3 Texas Council. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 74, Human Resources Code, is amended by 1-6 adding Section 74.004 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 74.004. EARLY PARENTING SKILLS PROGRAMS. (a) Subject 1-8 to the availability of funds, the council shall provide grants for 1-9 voluntary, community-based, early parenting skills programs in at 1-10 least three different geographic areas of this state. 1-11 (b) To be eligible for a grant, an early parenting skills 1-12 program must serve expectant parents and families with one or more 1-13 children three years of age or younger. 1-14 (c) The programs may: 1-15 (1) educate expectant parents and parents about the 1-16 physical, mental, and emotional development of children and about 1-17 how to promote children's learning and development; 1-18 (2) sponsor shared learning experiences for parents 1-19 and children; 1-20 (3) screen children for physical, mental, emotional, 1-21 or behavioral problems that may cause learning problems; 1-22 (4) purchase educational materials that expectant 1-23 parents and parents may borrow for home use; 1-24 (5) provide group emotional support, including support 2-1 for parents under stress; 2-2 (6) emphasize participation in the program by fathers; 2-3 and 2-4 (7) use a sliding fee scale. 2-5 (d) The council shall review the programs periodically to 2-6 ensure that program instruction and materials are not racially, 2-7 culturally, or sexually biased. 2-8 (e) The funded programs shall cooperate with schools and 2-9 other social services programs to avoid duplication of services. 2-10 SECTION 2. (a) The Children's Trust Fund of Texas Council 2-11 shall prepare a report on the extent to which training on child 2-12 abuse and neglect is provided in this state. 2-13 (b) The report shall include information on the following: 2-14 (1) training available to professionals who provide 2-15 services to or have frequent contact with children, including: 2-16 (A) police officers, prosecutors, and other law 2-17 enforcement personnel; 2-18 (B) judges; 2-19 (C) social services workers; 2-20 (D) day care providers; 2-21 (E) educators; and 2-22 (F) health care providers, including mental 2-23 health care providers; 2-24 (2) training available to the general public; 2-25 (3) training available on the following topics: 2-26 (A) child abuse and neglect; 2-27 (B) sexual victimization of children; 3-1 (C) missing children; 3-2 (D) parenting skills; and 3-3 (E) child witnesses; 3-4 (4) pre-service and in-service training; and 3-5 (5) joint training by professionals working in 3-6 different fields. 3-7 (c) Not later than December 1, 1998, the council shall 3-8 submit the report to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the 3-9 speaker of the house of representatives. On request, the council 3-10 shall provide the report to any member of the legislature. 3-11 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 3-12 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 3-13 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-14 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-15 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-16 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.