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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a competitive grant program to fund nurse-family |
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partnership programs in certain communities in this state. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 531, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subchapter M to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER M. NURSE-FAMILY PARTNERSHIP COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM |
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Sec. 531.451. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Competitive grant program" means the |
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nurse-family partnership competitive grant program established |
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under this subchapter. |
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(2) "Partnership program" means a nurse-family |
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partnership program. |
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Sec. 531.452. ESTABLISHMENT OF NURSE-FAMILY PARTNERSHIP |
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COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM. (a) The commission shall establish a |
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nurse-family partnership competitive grant program through which |
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the commission will award grants for the implementation of |
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nurse-family partnership programs, or the expansion of existing |
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programs, and for the operation of those programs for a period of |
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not less than two years. |
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(b) The commission shall award grants under the program to |
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applicants, including the YWCA of Metropolitan Dallas, in a manner |
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that ensures that the partnership programs collectively: |
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(1) operate in at least 11 communities; and |
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(2) provide program services to at least 2,000 |
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families. |
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Sec. 531.453. PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. A |
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partnership program funded through a grant awarded under this |
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subchapter must: |
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(1) be based strictly on the program model developed |
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by the Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office; |
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(2) require that registered nurses regularly visit the |
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homes of low-income, first-time mothers participating in the |
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program to provide services designed to: |
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(A) improve pregnancy outcomes; |
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(B) improve child health and development; |
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(C) improve family economic self-sufficiency and |
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stability; and |
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(D) reduce the incidence of child abuse and |
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neglect; and |
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(3) require that the regular nurse visits described by |
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Subdivision (2) begin not later than a mother's 28th week of |
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gestation and end when her child reaches two years of age. |
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Sec. 531.454. APPLICATION. (a) A public or private entity, |
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including a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of |
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this state, may apply for a grant under this subchapter. |
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(b) To apply for a grant, an applicant must submit a written |
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application to the commission on a form prescribed by the |
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commission. |
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(c) The application prescribed by the commission must: |
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(1) require the applicant to provide data on the number |
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of low-income, first-time mothers residing in the community in |
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which the applicant proposes to operate or expand a partnership |
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program and provide a description of existing services available to |
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those mothers; |
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(2) describe the ongoing monitoring and evaluation |
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process to which a grant recipient is subject, including the |
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recipient's obligation to collect and provide information |
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requested by the commission under Section 531.459(c); and |
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(3) require the applicant to provide other relevant |
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information as determined by the commission. |
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Sec. 531.455. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS IN AWARDING |
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GRANTS. In addition to the factors described by Sections |
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531.452(b) and 531.453, in determining whether to award a grant to |
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an applicant under this subchapter, the commission shall consider: |
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(1) the demonstrated need for a partnership program in |
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the community in which the applicant proposes to operate or expand |
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the program, which may be determined by considering the poverty |
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rate, the crime rate, the number of births to Medicaid recipients, |
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and the incidence of child abuse and neglect during a prescribed |
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period in the community; |
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(2) the applicant's ability to participate in ongoing |
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monitoring and performance evaluations, including the applicant's |
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ability to collect and provide information requested by the |
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commission under Section 531.459(c |
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); |
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(3) the applicant's ability to adhere to the |
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partnership program standards adopted under Section 531.456; |
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(4) the applicant's ability to develop broad-based |
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community support for implementing or expanding a partnership |
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program, as applicable; and |
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(5) the applicant's history of developing and |
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sustaining innovative, high-quality programs that meet the needs of |
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families and communities. |
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Sec. 531.456. PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM STANDARDS. The executive |
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commissioner, with the assistance of the Nurse-Family Partnership |
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National Service Office, shall adopt standards for the partnership |
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programs funded under this subchapter. The standards must be |
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consistent with Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office |
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program model standards and guidelines that were developed in |
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multiple, randomized clinical trials and have been tested and |
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replicated in multiple communities. |
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Sec. 531.457. USE OF AWARDED GRANT FUNDS. The grant funds |
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awarded under this subchapter may be used only to cover costs |
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related to implementing or expanding and operating a partnership |
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program, including costs related to: |
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(1) administering the program; |
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(2) training and managing registered nurses who |
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participate in the program; |
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(3) paying the salaries and expenses of registered |
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nurses who participate in the program; |
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(4) paying for facilities and equipment for the |
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program; and |
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(5) paying fees to the Nurse-Family Partnership |
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National Service Office for services that office provides to assist |
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a grant recipient in implementing, expanding, or operating the |
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program. |
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Sec. 531.458. STATE NURSE CONSULTANT. Using money |
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appropriated for the competitive grant program, the commission may |
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contract with a state nurse consultant to assist grant recipients |
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with implementing or expanding and operating the partnership |
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programs in the applicable communities. |
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Sec. 531.459. PROGRAM MONITORING AND EVALUATION; ANNUAL |
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COMMITTEE REPORTS. (a) The commission, with the assistance of the |
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Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office, shall: |
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(1) adopt performance indicators that are designed to |
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measure a grant recipient's performance with respect to the |
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partnership program standards adopted by the commission under |
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Section 531.456; |
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(2) use the performance indicators to continuously |
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monitor and formally evaluate on an annual basis the performance of |
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each grant recipient; and |
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(3) prepare and submit an annual report, not later |
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than December 1 of each year, to the Senate Health and Human |
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Services Committee, or its successor, and the House Human Services |
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Committee, or its successor, regarding the performance of each |
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grant recipient during the preceding state fiscal year with respect |
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to providing partnership program services. |
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(b) The report required under Subsection (a)(3) must |
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include: |
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(1) the number of low-income, first-time mothers to |
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whom each grant recipient provided partnership program services; |
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(2) the extent to which each grant recipient made |
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regular visits to mothers during the period described by Section |
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531.453(3); and |
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(3) the extent to which each grant recipient adhered |
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to the Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office's program |
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model, including the extent to which registered nurses: |
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(A) conducted home visitations comparable in |
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frequency, duration, and contact to those delivered in Nurse-Family |
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Partnership National Service Office clinical trials; and |
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(B) assessed the health and well-being of mothers |
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and children participating in the partnership programs in |
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accordance with common indicators of maternal, child, and family |
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health. |
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(c) On request, each grant recipient shall timely collect |
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and provide data and any other information required by the |
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commission to prepare the report required by this section. |
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Sec. 531.460. COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING. (a) The |
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commission shall actively seek and apply for any available federal |
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funds, including federal Medicaid and Temporary Aid for Needy |
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Family (TANF) funds, to assist in financing the competitive grant |
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program established under this subchapter. |
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(b) The commission may use appropriated funds and may accept |
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gifts, donations, and grants of money from the federal government, |
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local governments, private corporations, or other persons to assist |
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in financing the competitive grant program. |
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Sec. 531.461. RULES. The executive commissioner shall |
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adopt rules as necessary to administer the competitive grant |
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program. |
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SECTION 2. (a) As required by Section 531.460(a), |
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Government Code, as added by this Act, the Health and Human Services |
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Commission shall, as soon as practicable, apply for any available |
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federal funds to assist in financing the nurse-family partnership |
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competitive grant program under Subchapter M, Chapter 531, |
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Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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(b) Not later than March 1, 2008, the Health and Human |
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Services Commission shall establish the nurse-family partnership |
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competitive grant program required by Subchapter M, Chapter 531, |
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Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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(c) Not later than December 1, 2008, the Health and Human |
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Services Commission shall submit the initial annual report required |
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by Section 531.459(a)(3), Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |