1-1 By: Turner of Harris, Naishtat H.B. No. 1758 1-2 (Senate Sponsor - Moncrief) 1-3 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 23, 2001; 1-4 April 24, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on 1-5 Criminal Justice; May 10, 2001, reported favorably by the following 1-6 vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 10, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-7 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-8 AN ACT 1-9 relating to access for females under 18 years of age to facilities, 1-10 services, and treatment available through health and human services 1-11 and juvenile corrections programs. 1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-13 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 531, Government Code, is 1-14 amended by adding Section 531.016 to read as follows: 1-15 Sec. 531.016. EQUAL ACCESS TO FACILITIES, SERVICES, AND 1-16 TREATMENT. (a) The commission, the Texas Youth Commission, and the 1-17 Texas Juvenile Probation Commission shall periodically review, 1-18 document, and compare the accessibility and funding of facilities, 1-19 services, and treatment provided to females under 18 years of age 1-20 to the accessibility and funding of facilities, services, and 1-21 treatment provided to males in the same age group. 1-22 (b) The commission shall coordinate the review, 1-23 documentation, and comparison required by Subsection (a). 1-24 (c) The areas of review required by Subsection (a) must 1-25 include: 1-26 (1) the nature, extent, and effectiveness of services 1-27 offered for females under 18 years of age within the areas of teen 1-28 pregnancy, physical and sexual abuse, and alcohol and drug abuse, 1-29 services for runaway and homeless females, and services for females 1-30 involved in gangs or other delinquent activity; and 1-31 (2) the equity of services offered to persons under 18 1-32 years of age with respect to gender within the areas of physical 1-33 and sexual abuse, alcohol and drug abuse, and services offered to 1-34 runaway and homeless youths. 1-35 (d) Each health and human services agency or other state 1-36 agency that provides facilities, services, treatment, or funding 1-37 subject to the review required by Subsection (a) shall identify 1-38 existing differences within the agency in the allocation and 1-39 expenditures of money and services for males under 18 years of age 1-40 in comparison to females in the same age group. Each agency shall 1-41 submit a report to the commission describing any differences 1-42 identified. 1-43 (e) Each agency described by Subsection (d) shall: 1-44 (1) develop a plan to address any lack of services for 1-45 females under 18 years of age reported by the agency; and 1-46 (2) submit a report to the commission on the progress 1-47 made under the plan. 1-48 (f) The commission shall assemble the agency reports 1-49 submitted under Subsections (d) and (e) and prepare an executive 1-50 summary to be delivered to the members of the legislature not later 1-51 than July 1 of each even-numbered year. 1-52 (g) This section expires September 1, 2005. 1-53 SECTION 2. The Health and Human Services Commission, the 1-54 Texas Youth Commission, and the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission 1-55 shall jointly establish a timetable for the submission of agency 1-56 reports required by Section 531.016, Government Code, as added by 1-57 this Act, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this 1-58 Act. 1-59 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 1-60 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 1-61 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this 1-62 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 1-63 Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 2-1 * * * * *