By Villarreal H.B. No. 1308
2001S0088/1
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the creation of an office within the Health and Human
1-3 Services Commission for coordinating the delivery of early
1-4 childhood services.
1-5 BE ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Chapter 531, Government Code, is amended by
1-7 adding Subchapter H to read as follows:
1-8 SUBCHAPTER H. OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD COORDINATION
1-9 Sec. 531.281. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
1-10 (1) "Office" means the Office of Early Childhood
1-11 Coordination.
1-12 (2) "Advisory committee" means the Office of Early
1-13 Childhood Coordination Advisory Committee.
1-14 Sec. 531.282. OFFICE; STAFF. (a) The Office of Early
1-15 Childhood Coordination is an office within the commission.
1-16 (b) The commissioner shall employ staff as needed to carry
1-17 out the duties of the office.
1-18 Sec. 531.283. GOALS. The goals of the office are to:
1-19 (1) promote community support for parents of all
1-20 children younger than six years of age through an integrated state
1-21 and local-level decision-making process; and
1-22 (2) provide for the seamless delivery of health and
1-23 human services to all children younger than six years of age to
1-24 ensure that all children are prepared to succeed in school.
2-1 Sec. 531.284. STRATEGIC PLAN. (a) The office shall create
2-2 and implement a statewide strategic plan for the delivery of health
2-3 and human services to children younger than six years of age.
2-4 (b) In developing the statewide strategic plan, the office
2-5 shall:
2-6 (1) consider existing programs and models to serve
2-7 children younger than six years of age, including:
2-8 (A) community resource coordination groups;
2-9 (B) the Texas Integrated Funding Initiative;
2-10 (C) the Texas Information and Referral Network;
2-11 and
2-12 (D) efforts to create a 2-1-1 telephone number
2-13 for access to human services;
2-14 (2) attempt to maximize federal funds and local
2-15 existing infrastructure and funds; and
2-16 (3) provide for local participation to the greatest
2-17 extent possible.
2-18 Sec. 531.285. POWERS AND DUTIES. (a) The office shall
2-19 identify:
2-20 (1) gaps in early childhood services by functional
2-21 area and geographical area;
2-22 (2) state policies, rules, and service procedures that
2-23 prevent or inhibit children younger than six years of age from
2-24 accessing available services;
2-25 (3) sources of funds for early childhood services,
2-26 including federal, state, and private-public ventures;
3-1 (4) quantifiable benchmarks for success within early
3-2 childhood service delivery; and
3-3 (5) national best practices in early care and
3-4 educational delivery models.
3-5 (b) The office shall establish outreach efforts to
3-6 communities and ensure adequate communication lines that provide
3-7 the office with information about community-level efforts and
3-8 communities with information about funds and programs available to
3-9 communities.
3-10 (c) The office shall make recommendations to the commission
3-11 on strategies to:
3-12 (1) ensure optimum collaboration and coordination
3-13 between state agencies serving the needs of children younger than
3-14 six years of age and other community stakeholders;
3-15 (2) fill geographical and functional gaps in early
3-16 childhood services; and
3-17 (3) amend state policies, rules, and service
3-18 procedures that prevent or inhibit children younger than six years
3-19 of age from accessing services.
3-20 Sec. 531.286. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) The commissioner
3-21 shall appoint an advisory committee to assist the office in the
3-22 performance of its duties. The commissioner shall appoint to the
3-23 advisory committee persons with a demonstrated interest in early
3-24 childhood development, including parents and representatives of
3-25 business, religious organizations, law enforcement, social
3-26 services, and state agencies that have programs affecting or
4-1 serving children younger than six years of age.
4-2 (b) The advisory committee shall meet and serve under rules
4-3 established by the commissioner, but the the advisory committee
4-4 shall elect its own presiding officer.
4-5 (c) The advisory committee is subject to Chapter 2110.
4-6 SECTION 2. As soon as practicable on or after the effective
4-7 date of this Act, the commissioner of health and human services
4-8 shall appoint members to the Office of Early Childhood Coordination
4-9 Advisory Committee as required by Section 531.286, Government Code,
4-10 as added by this Act.
4-11 SECTION 3. Not later than January 1, 2002, the Office of
4-12 Early Childhood Coordination shall create the statewide strategic
4-13 plan required by Section 531.284, Government Code, as added by this
4-14 Act.
4-15 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.