H.B. No. 662

AN ACT

relating to the coordination, improvement, and funding of certain programs and services for the prevention of and early intervention in child abuse and neglect.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 265.001(1), Family Code, is amended to read as follows:

(1) "Department" means the Department of Family and Protective [and Regulatory] Services.

SECTION 2. Chapter 265, Family Code, is amended by adding Section 265.005 to read as follows:

Sec. 265.005. STRATEGIC PLAN FOR CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT PREVENTION SERVICES. (a) Not later than December 1, 2008, in consultation with the Interagency Coordinating Council for Building Healthy Families, the department shall develop a statewide, long-range strategic plan for child abuse and neglect prevention services. The plan must include:

(1) a strategy for the state and political subdivisions of the state to:

(A) reduce their need for services addressing child maltreatment; and

(B) transition to a system that promotes child abuse and neglect prevention services in order to use cost savings to increase prevention services funding in the future; and

(2) details for child abuse and neglect public awareness efforts and outreach.

(b) The department shall assist the Interagency Coordinating Council for Building Healthy Families in any reasonable manner requested by the council in preparing the portion of the council's report to the legislature regarding the strategic plan required by Section 267.001(g).

(c) This section expires September 1, 2009.

SECTION 3. Chapter 266, Family Code, as added by Chapter 587, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, is redesignated as Chapter 267, Family Code, and is renumbered and amended to read as follows:

CHAPTER 267 [266]. INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COUNCIL FOR BUILDING

HEALTHY FAMILIES

Sec. 267.001 [266.001]. INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COUNCIL FOR BUILDING HEALTHY FAMILIES. (a) The Interagency Coordinating Council for Building Healthy Families is established to:

(1) facilitate communication and collaboration concerning policies for the prevention of and early intervention in child abuse and neglect among state agencies whose programs and services promote and foster healthy families;

(2) facilitate improvements in the coordination of service delivery among those agencies;

(3) provide information and other resources to assist those agencies; and

(4) receive input from those agencies in order to develop and improve policies for the prevention of and early intervention in child abuse and neglect.

(b) The council consists of one representative from each of the following agencies appointed by the executive director or commissioner of each agency:

(1) the Department of Family and Protective Services;

(2) the Health and Human Services Commission;

(3) the Department of State Health Services;

(4) the Department of Aging and Disability Services;

(5) the Texas Youth Commission;

(6) the Texas Education Agency;

(7) the Texas Workforce Commission;

(8) the office of the attorney general;

(9) the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission; [and]

(10) the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs; and

(11) the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services.

(c) A representative of an agency appointed to the council must have an overall understanding of the agency's mission and purpose and substantial experience and expertise relating to the administration of the agency's policies, programs, and activities.

(d) The representative from the Department of Family and Protective Services serves as the presiding officer of the council.

(e) The council shall meet at least quarterly and shall submit to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the legislature the minutes of each council meeting.

(f) The council shall evaluate:

(1) the potential for streamlined funding mechanisms for programs and services for the prevention of and early intervention in child abuse and neglect;

(2) the effectiveness and cost efficiency of state-funded programs and services for the prevention of and early intervention in child abuse and neglect;

(3) the effectiveness of state-funded child maltreatment prevention programs and services in achieving their intended outcomes and methods for transitioning those programs and services to an increased reliance on evidence-based practices;

(4) methods for the ongoing identification of additional opportunities for comprehensive improvements to the delivery of services for the prevention of and early intervention in child abuse and neglect; and

(5) the need for increased state funding for programs and services for the prevention of and early intervention in child abuse and neglect in order to ensure a sustained, long-term, cost-effective investment in families in this state [Not later than June 1, 2006, the council shall prepare and submit to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the legislature an inventory of the child abuse and neglect prevention and early intervention policies, programs, and activities of each agency represented on the council].

(g) Not later than December 1, 2008 [2006], the council shall prepare and submit to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the legislature a report containing the council's recommendations for improving the coordination and collaboration of child abuse and neglect prevention and early intervention programs and services among state agencies. The council shall include in the report:

(1) the status of the council's findings based on the council's evaluation under Subsections (f)(1), (4), and (5);

(2) details regarding the strategic plan for child abuse and neglect prevention services developed by the Department of Family and Protective Services in consultation with the council under Section 265.005;

(3) the council's recommendations regarding implementation of the strategic plan, including a detailed explanation of the resources, the funds, and any interagency or intergovernmental agreements necessary to accomplish the plan; and

(4) the council's recommendation regarding whether to continue the council.

(h) Not later than December 1, 2009, the council shall prepare and submit to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the legislature a report containing the status of the council's findings based on the council's evaluation under Subsections (f)(2) and (3).

Sec. 267.002 [266.002]. EXPIRATION OF CHAPTER. This chapter expires January [September] 1, 2010 [2007].

SECTION 4. Section 40.105, Human Resources Code, is amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:

(a) The child abuse and neglect prevention trust fund account is an account in the general revenue fund. Money in the trust fund is dedicated to child abuse prevention programs.

(e) All marriage license fees and other fees collected for and deposited in the trust fund and interest earned on the trust fund balance shall be appropriated each biennium only to the operating fund for primary child abuse prevention programs.

SECTION 5. Section 40.105(e), Human Resources Code, as added by this Act, takes effect September 1, 2010.

SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2007.

______________________________ ______________________________

President of the Senate Speaker of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 662 was passed by the House on April 30, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 145, Nays 0, 1 present, not voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. No. 662 on May 21, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 141, Nays 0, 2 present, not voting.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 662 was passed by the Senate, with amendments, on May 17, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.

______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: __________________

Date

__________________

Governor