By: Shapiro, et al. S.B. No. 156

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a competitive grant program to fund nurse-family partnership programs in certain communities in this state.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 531, Government Code, is amended by adding Subchapter M to read as follows: SUBCHAPTER M. NURSE-FAMILY PARTNERSHIP COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM

Sec. 531.451. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:

(1) "Competitive grant program" means the nurse-family partnership competitive grant program established under this subchapter.

(2) "Partnership program" means a nurse-family partnership program.

Sec. 531.452. ESTABLISHMENT OF NURSE-FAMILY PARTNERSHIP COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM. (a) The commission shall establish a nurse-family partnership competitive grant program through which the commission will award grants for the implementation of nurse-family partnership programs, or the expansion of existing programs, and for the operation of those programs for a period of not less than two years.

(b) The commission shall award grants under the program to applicants, including applicants operating existing programs, in a manner that ensures that the partnership programs collectively:

(1) operate in multiple communities that are geographically distributed throughout this state; and

(2) provide program services to approximately 2,000 families.

Sec. 531.453. PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. A partnership program funded through a grant awarded under this subchapter must:

(1) strictly adhere to the program model developed by the Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office, including any clinical, programmatic, and data collection requirements of that model;

(2) require that registered nurses regularly visit the homes of low-income, first-time mothers participating in the program to provide services designed to:

(A) improve pregnancy outcomes;

(B) improve child health and development;

(C) improve family economic self-sufficiency and stability; and

(D) reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect;

(3) require that nurses who provide services through the program:

(A) receive training from the office of the attorney general at least once each year on procedures by which a person may voluntarily acknowledge the paternity of a child and on the availability of child support services from the office;

(B) provide a mother with information about the rights, responsibilities, and benefits of establishing the paternity of her child, if appropriate;

(C) provide assistance to a mother and the alleged father of her child if the mother and alleged father seek to voluntarily acknowledge paternity of the child, if appropriate; and

(D) provide information to a mother about the availability of child support services from the office of the attorney general; and

(4) require that the regular nurse visits described by Subdivision (2) begin not later than a mother's 28th week of gestation and end when her child reaches two years of age.

Sec. 531.454. APPLICATION. (a) A public or private entity, including a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of this state, may apply for a grant under this subchapter.

(b) To apply for a grant, an applicant must submit a written application to the commission on a form prescribed by the commission in consultation with the Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office.

(c) The application prescribed by the commission must:

(1) require the applicant to provide data on the number of low-income, first-time mothers residing in the community in which the applicant proposes to operate or expand a partnership program and provide a description of existing services available to those mothers;

(2) describe the ongoing monitoring and evaluation process to which a grant recipient is subject under Section 531.459, including the recipient's obligation to collect and provide information requested by the commission under Section 531.459(c); and

(3) require the applicant to provide other relevant information as determined by the commission.

Sec. 531.455. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS IN AWARDING GRANTS. In addition to the factors described by Sections 531.452(b) and 531.453, in determining whether to award a grant to an applicant under this subchapter, the commission shall consider:

(1) the demonstrated need for a partnership program in the community in which the applicant proposes to operate or expand the program, which may be determined by considering:

(A) the poverty rate, the crime rate, the number of births to Medicaid recipients, the rate of poor birth outcomes, and the incidence of child abuse and neglect during a prescribed period in the community; and

(B) the need to enhance school readiness in the community;

(2) the applicant's ability to participate in ongoing monitoring and performance evaluations under Section 531.459, including the applicant's ability to collect and provide information requested by the commission under Section 531.459(c);

(3) the applicant's ability to adhere to the partnership program standards adopted under Section 531.456;

(4) the applicant's ability to develop broad-based community support for implementing or expanding a partnership program, as applicable; and

(5) the applicant's history of developing and sustaining innovative, high-quality programs that meet the needs of families and communities.

Sec. 531.456. PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM STANDARDS. The executive commissioner, with the assistance of the Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office, shall adopt standards for the partnership programs funded under this subchapter. The standards must adhere to the Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office program model standards and guidelines that were developed in multiple, randomized clinical trials and have been tested and replicated in multiple communities.

Sec. 531.457. USE OF AWARDED GRANT FUNDS. The grant funds awarded under this subchapter may be used only to cover costs related to implementing or expanding and operating a partnership program, including costs related to:

(1) administering the program;

(2) training and managing registered nurses who participate in the program;

(3) paying the salaries and expenses of registered nurses who participate in the program;

(4) paying for facilities and equipment for the program; and

(5) paying for services provided by the Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office to ensure a grant recipient adheres to the organization's program model.

Sec. 531.458. STATE NURSE CONSULTANT. Using money appropriated for the competitive grant program, the commission shall contract with a state nurse consultant to assist grant recipients with implementing or expanding and operating the partnership programs in the applicable communities.

Sec. 531.459. PROGRAM MONITORING AND EVALUATION; ANNUAL COMMITTEE REPORTS. (a) The commission, with the assistance of the Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office, shall:

(1) adopt performance indicators that are designed to measure a grant recipient's performance with respect to the partnership program standards adopted by the commission under Section 531.456;

(2) use the performance indicators to continuously monitor and formally evaluate on an annual basis the performance of each grant recipient; and

(3) prepare and submit an annual report, not later than December 1 of each year, to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, or its successor, and the House Human Services Committee, or its successor, regarding the performance of each grant recipient during the preceding state fiscal year with respect to providing partnership program services.

(b) The report required under Subsection (a)(3) must include:

(1) the number of low-income, first-time mothers to whom each grant recipient provided partnership program services and, of that number, the number of mothers who established the paternity of an alleged father as a result of services provided under the program;

(2) the extent to which each grant recipient made regular visits to mothers during the period described by Section 531.453(4); and

(3) the extent to which each grant recipient adhered to the Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office's program model, including the extent to which registered nurses:

(A) conducted home visitations comparable in frequency, duration, and content to those delivered in Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office clinical trials; and

(B) assessed the health and well-being of mothers and children participating in the partnership programs in accordance with indicators of maternal, child, and family health defined by the commission in consultation with the Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office.

(c) On request, each grant recipient shall timely collect and provide data and any other information required by the commission to monitor and evaluate the recipient or to prepare the report required by this section.

Sec. 531.460. COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING. (a) The commission shall actively seek and apply for any available federal funds, including federal Medicaid and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds, to assist in financing the competitive grant program established under this subchapter.

(b) The commission may use appropriated funds from the state government and may accept gifts, donations, and grants of money from the federal government, local governments, private corporations, or other persons to assist in financing the competitive grant program.

SECTION 2. (a) As required by Subsection (a), Section 531.460, Government Code, as added by this Act, the Health and Human Services Commission shall, as soon as practicable, apply for any available federal funds to assist in financing the nurse-family partnership competitive grant program under Subchapter M, Chapter 531, Government Code, as added by this Act.

(b) Not later than December 1, 2007, the Health and Human Services Commission shall establish and implement the nurse-family partnership competitive grant program required by Subchapter M, Chapter 531, Government Code, as added by this Act.

(c) Not later than December 1, 2008, the Health and Human Services Commission shall submit the initial annual report required by Subdivision (3), Subsection (a), Section 531.459, Government Code, as added by this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.