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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a study and report on the feasibility of providing |
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services and benefits under federally funded public benefit |
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programs to encourage fathers' involvement beginning during |
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pregnancy. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: |
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(1) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services |
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Commission. |
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(2) "Executive commissioner" means the executive |
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commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission. |
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(3) "Federally funded public benefit program" means a |
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federally funded assistance program administered by the commission |
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or a health and human services agency, including: |
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(A) the child health plan program under Chapter |
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62, Health and Safety Code; |
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(B) the medical assistance program under Chapter |
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32, Human Resources Code; |
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(C) programs operated by the Texas Primary Care |
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Office at the Department of State Health Services; |
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(D) the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition |
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Program for Women, Infants and Children; and |
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(E) programs funded under the Maternal and Child |
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Health Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. Section 701 et seq.), as |
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amended. |
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(4) "Health and human services agencies" has the |
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meaning assigned by Section 531.001, Government Code. |
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SECTION 2. STUDY. (a) The commission shall conduct a study |
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to evaluate the feasibility of providing benefits or services under |
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federally funded public benefit programs to encourage the |
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involvement of prospective fathers of the unborn children of |
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pregnant women receiving health care services under those programs, |
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including the feasibility of providing simple health screening |
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services to those fathers that are similar to the health screening |
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services provided to the prospective mothers, to the extent those |
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services are appropriate. |
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(b) In conducting the study under Subsection (a) of this |
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section, the commission shall: |
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(1) evaluate and identify funding sources available |
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under federally funded public benefit programs to provide the |
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benefits and services to prospective fathers as described by |
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Subsection (a) of this section, including the possibility of |
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obtaining a federal waiver or other authorization under a federally |
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funded public benefit program to provide those services and |
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benefits; and |
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(2) consider the ability of health care providers |
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participating in federally funded public benefit programs to |
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provide the benefits and services described by Subsection (a) of |
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this section. |
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SECTION 3. REPORT. Not later than September 1, 2010, the |
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commission shall submit to the legislature a written report |
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containing the findings of the study conducted under this Act and |
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the commission's recommendations. |
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SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |