1-1 By: Moncrief S.B. No. 665 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 12, 2001; February 13, 2001, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human 1-4 Services; March 5, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote: 1-5 Yeas 7, Nays 0; March 5, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to the creation of an office within the Health and Human 1-9 Services Commission for coordinating the delivery of early 1-10 childhood services. 1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-12 SECTION 1. Chapter 531, Government Code, is amended by 1-13 adding Subchapter H to read as follows: 1-14 SUBCHAPTER H. OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD COORDINATION 1-15 Sec. 531.281. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: 1-16 (1) "Office" means the Office of Early Childhood 1-17 Coordination. 1-18 (2) "Advisory committee" means the Office of Early 1-19 Childhood Coordination Advisory Committee. 1-20 Sec. 531.282. OFFICE; STAFF. (a) The Office of Early 1-21 Childhood Coordination is an office within the commission. 1-22 (b) The commissioner shall employ staff as needed to carry 1-23 out the duties of the office. 1-24 Sec. 531.283. GOALS. The goals of the office are to: 1-25 (1) promote community support for parents of all 1-26 children younger than six years of age through an integrated state 1-27 and local-level decision-making process; and 1-28 (2) provide for the seamless delivery of health and 1-29 human services to all children younger than six years of age to 1-30 ensure that all children are prepared to succeed in school. 1-31 Sec. 531.284. STRATEGIC PLAN. (a) The office shall create 1-32 and implement a statewide strategic plan for the delivery of health 1-33 and human services to children younger than six years of age. 1-34 (b) In developing the statewide strategic plan, the office 1-35 shall: 1-36 (1) consider existing programs and models to serve 1-37 children younger than six years of age, including: 1-38 (A) community resource coordination groups; 1-39 (B) the Texas Integrated Funding Initiative; 1-40 (C) the Texas Information and Referral Network; 1-41 and 1-42 (D) efforts to create a 2-1-1 telephone number 1-43 for access to human services; 1-44 (2) attempt to maximize federal funds and local 1-45 existing infrastructure and funds; and 1-46 (3) provide for local participation to the greatest 1-47 extent possible. 1-48 (c) The statewide strategic plan must address the needs of 1-49 children younger than six years of age with disabilities. 1-50 Sec. 531.285. POWERS AND DUTIES. (a) The office shall 1-51 identify: 1-52 (1) gaps in early childhood services by functional 1-53 area and geographical area; 1-54 (2) state policies, rules, and service procedures that 1-55 prevent or inhibit children younger than six years of age from 1-56 accessing available services; 1-57 (3) sources of funds for early childhood services, 1-58 including federal, state, and private-public ventures; 1-59 (4) opportunities for collaboration between the Texas 1-60 Education Agency and health and human services agencies to better 1-61 serve the needs of children younger than six years of age; 1-62 (5) methods for coordinating the provision of early 1-63 childhood services provided by the Texas Head Start-State 1-64 Collaboration Project, the Texas Education Agency, and the Texas 2-1 Workforce Commission; 2-2 (6) quantifiable benchmarks for success within early 2-3 childhood service delivery; and 2-4 (7) national best practices in early care and 2-5 educational delivery models. 2-6 (b) The office shall establish outreach efforts to 2-7 communities and ensure adequate communication lines that provide 2-8 the office with information about community-level efforts and 2-9 communities with information about funds and programs available to 2-10 communities. 2-11 (c) The office shall make recommendations to the commission 2-12 on strategies to: 2-13 (1) ensure optimum collaboration and coordination 2-14 between state agencies serving the needs of children younger than 2-15 six years of age and other community stakeholders; 2-16 (2) fill geographical and functional gaps in early 2-17 childhood services; and 2-18 (3) amend state policies, rules, and service 2-19 procedures that prevent or inhibit children younger than six years 2-20 of age from accessing services. 2-21 Sec. 531.286. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) The commissioner 2-22 shall appoint an advisory committee to assist the office in the 2-23 performance of its duties. The commissioner shall appoint to the 2-24 advisory committee persons with a demonstrated interest in early 2-25 childhood development, including parents and representatives of 2-26 business, religious organizations, law enforcement, social 2-27 services, and state agencies that have programs affecting or 2-28 serving children younger than six years of age. 2-29 (b) The advisory committee shall meet and serve under rules 2-30 established by the commissioner, but the advisory committee shall 2-31 elect its own presiding officer. 2-32 (c) The advisory committee is subject to Chapter 2110. 2-33 SECTION 2. As soon as practicable on or after the effective 2-34 date of this Act, the commissioner of health and human services 2-35 shall appoint members to the Office of Early Childhood Coordination 2-36 Advisory Committee as required by Section 531.286, Government Code, 2-37 as added by this Act. 2-38 SECTION 3. Not later than January 1, 2003, the Office of 2-39 Early Childhood Coordination shall create the statewide strategic 2-40 plan required by Section 531.284, Government Code, as added by this 2-41 Act. 2-42 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 2-43 * * * * *