1-1 By: Wise (Senate Sponsor - Lucio) H.B. No. 1914 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 16, 1997; 1-3 May 16, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on Health 1-4 and Human Services; May 17, 1997, rereferred to Committee on 1-5 Jurisprudence; May 18, 1997, reported favorably by the following 1-6 vote: Yeas 5, Nays 1; May 18, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-7 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-8 AN ACT 1-9 relating to the powers and duties of the Children's Trust Fund of 1-10 Texas Council. 1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-12 SECTION 1. Chapter 74, Human Resources Code, is amended by 1-13 adding Section 74.004 to read as follows: 1-14 Sec. 74.004. EARLY PARENTING SKILLS PROGRAMS. (a) Subject 1-15 to the availability of funds, the council shall provide grants for 1-16 voluntary, community-based, early parenting skills programs in at 1-17 least three different geographic areas of this state. 1-18 (b) To be eligible for a grant, an early parenting skills 1-19 program must serve expectant parents and families with one or more 1-20 children three years of age or younger. 1-21 (c) The programs may: 1-22 (1) educate expectant parents and parents about the 1-23 physical, mental, and emotional development of children and about 1-24 how to promote children's learning and development; 1-25 (2) sponsor shared learning experiences for parents 1-26 and children; 1-27 (3) purchase educational materials that expectant 1-28 parents and parents may borrow for home use; 1-29 (4) provide group emotional support, including support 1-30 for parents under stress; 1-31 (5) emphasize participation in the program by fathers; 1-32 and 1-33 (6) use a sliding fee scale. 1-34 (d) The council shall review the programs periodically to 1-35 ensure that program instruction and materials are not racially, 1-36 culturally, or sexually biased. 1-37 (e) The funded programs shall cooperate with schools and 1-38 other social services programs to avoid duplication of services. 1-39 SECTION 2. (a) The Children's Trust Fund of Texas Council 1-40 shall prepare a report on the extent to which training on child 1-41 abuse and neglect is provided in this state. 1-42 (b) The report shall include information on the following: 1-43 (1) training available to professionals who provide 1-44 services to or have frequent contact with children, including: 1-45 (A) police officers, prosecutors, and other law 1-46 enforcement personnel; 1-47 (B) judges; 1-48 (C) social services workers; 1-49 (D) day care providers; 1-50 (E) educators; and 1-51 (F) health care providers, including mental 1-52 health care providers; 1-53 (2) training available to the general public; 1-54 (3) training available on the following topics: 1-55 (A) child abuse and neglect; 1-56 (B) sexual victimization of children; 1-57 (C) missing children; 1-58 (D) parenting skills; and 1-59 (E) child witnesses; 1-60 (4) pre-service and in-service training; and 1-61 (5) joint training by professionals working in 1-62 different fields. 1-63 (c) Not later than December 1, 1998, the council shall 1-64 submit the report to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the 2-1 speaker of the house of representatives. On request, the council 2-2 shall provide the report to any member of the legislature. 2-3 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 2-4 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 2-5 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-6 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-7 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-8 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 2-9 * * * * *