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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 promotion of early |
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literacy 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 73, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Subchapter I to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER I. COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE EARLY LITERACY |
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Sec. 73.601. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Competitive grant program" means the competitive |
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grant program to promote early literacy established under this |
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subchapter. |
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(2) "Health care practitioner" has the meaning |
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assigned by Section 112.001, Occupations Code. |
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(3) "Health science center" means The University of |
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Texas Health Science Center at Houston. |
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(4) "Literacy program" means a program to promote |
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early literacy. |
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Sec. 73.602. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM TO |
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PROMOTE EARLY LITERACY. (a) The University of Texas Health |
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Science Center at Houston shall establish a competitive grant |
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program to promote early literacy through which the health science |
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center will award grants for the implementation of literacy |
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programs, or the expansion of existing programs, and for the |
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operation of those programs for a period of not less than two years. |
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(b) The health science center shall award grants under the |
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program to applicants, including applicants operating existing |
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programs, in a manner that ensures that the literacy programs |
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collectively: |
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(1) operate in multiple communities that are |
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geographically distributed throughout this state; and |
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(2) provide program services to approximately 50,000 |
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children. |
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Sec. 73.603. LITERACY PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. (a) A |
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literacy program funded through a grant awarded under this |
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subchapter must: |
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(1) strictly adhere to the program model developed by |
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the Reach Out and Read National Center, including any clinical, |
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programmatic, and data collection requirements of that model; |
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(2) provide matching funds in an amount equal to the |
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amount of the grant funds awarded under this subchapter; |
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(3) require that health care practitioners volunteer |
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to: |
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(A) in conjunction with performing well-child |
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examinations, provide books to children and encourage parents to |
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read to their children to develop preliteracy skills; |
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(B) maintain waiting rooms that encourage |
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children to read; and |
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(C) provide services designed to increase the |
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school readiness of children receiving program services; and |
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(4) partner with local adult literacy providers to |
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encourage parent literacy in appropriate circumstances. |
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(b) Matching funds under Subsection (a)(2) may include |
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in-kind contributions. |
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Sec. 73.604. 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 health science center on a form prescribed by the |
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health science center in consultation with the Reach Out and Read |
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National Center. |
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Sec. 73.605. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS IN AWARDING GRANTS. |
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In addition to the factors described by Sections 73.602(b) and |
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73.603, in determining whether to award a grant to an applicant |
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under this subchapter, the health science center may consider: |
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(1) the demonstrated need for a literacy program in |
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the community in which the applicant proposes to operate or expand |
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the program, which the health science center shall determine by |
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considering: |
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(A) the poverty rate, the crime rate, the number |
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of births to Medicaid recipients, the rate of poor birth outcomes, |
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and the incidence of referrals of elementary school students for |
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remedial instruction or special education services, and of child |
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abuse and neglect, during a prescribed period in the community; and |
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(B) the need to enhance school readiness in the |
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community; |
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(2) the applicant's ability to participate in ongoing |
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monitoring and performance evaluations under Section 73.608, |
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including the applicant's ability to collect and provide |
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information requested by the health science center under Section |
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73.608(d); |
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(3) the applicant's ability to adhere to the literacy |
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program guidelines published under Section 73.606; |
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(4) the applicant's ability to develop broad-based |
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community support for implementing or expanding a literacy program, |
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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. 73.606. LITERACY PROGRAM GUIDELINES. The health |
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science center, with the assistance of the Reach Out and Read |
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National Center, shall publish guidelines for the literacy programs |
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funded under this subchapter. The guidelines must adhere to the |
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Reach Out and Read national program model standards and guidelines |
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that have been tested and replicated in multiple communities. |
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Sec. 73.607. USE OF PROGRAM FUNDS. (a) In addition to |
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awarding grants under this subchapter, the health science center |
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may use program funds to: |
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(1) administer the competitive grant program; and |
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(2) purchase or contract to purchase discounted books |
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for use by grant recipients. |
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(b) A grant recipient may use grant funds awarded under this |
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subchapter only to cover costs related to implementing or expanding |
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and operating a literacy program, including costs related to: |
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(1) administering the literacy program; |
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(2) training and managing health care practitioners |
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who volunteer to participate in the literacy program; and |
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(3) purchasing or contracting to purchase discounted |
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books for use in the literacy program. |
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Sec. 73.608. PROGRAM MONITORING AND EVALUATION; ANNUAL |
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COMMITTEE REPORTS. (a) The health science center, with the |
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assistance of the Reach Out and Read National Center, shall publish |
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performance indicators that are designed to measure a grant |
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recipient's performance with respect to the literacy program |
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guidelines published under Section 73.606. |
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(b) The health science center shall: |
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(1) use the performance indicators published under |
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Subsection (a) to continuously monitor and formally evaluate on an |
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annual basis the performance of each grant recipient; and |
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(2) prepare and submit an annual report, not later |
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than December 1 of each year, to the Senate Committee on Education, |
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or its successor, and the House Public Education Committee, or its |
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successor, regarding the performance of each grant recipient during |
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the preceding state fiscal year with respect to providing literacy |
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program services. |
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(c) The report required under Subsection (b)(2) must |
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include: |
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(1) the number of low-income children receiving |
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literacy program services; |
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(2) the number of health care practitioners who |
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participate in the program and the estimated value of the services |
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provided by those practitioners under the program; and |
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(3) the extent to which each grant recipient adhered |
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to the Reach Out and Read national program model. |
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(d) On request, each grant recipient shall timely collect |
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and provide data and any other information required by the health |
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science center to monitor and evaluate the recipient or to prepare |
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the report required by this section. |
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Sec. 73.609. COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING. (a) The |
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health science center shall actively seek and apply for any |
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available federal funds to assist in financing the competitive |
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grant program established under this subchapter. |
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(b) The health science center may use appropriated funds |
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from the state government and may accept gifts, donations, grants |
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of money, and in-kind contributions 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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SECTION 2. The University of Texas Health Science Center at |
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Houston shall: |
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(1) as soon as practicable, apply for any available |
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federal funds to assist in financing the competitive grant program |
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under Subchapter I, Chapter 73, Education Code, as added by this |
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Act, as required by Section 73.609, Education Code, as added by this |
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Act; |
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(2) not later than December 1, 2009, submit a report to |
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the Senate Committee on Education, or its successor, and the House |
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Public Education Committee, or its successor, regarding the |
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implementation and status of the competitive grant program required |
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by Subchapter I, Chapter 73, Education Code, as added by this Act; |
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(3) not later than September 1, 2010, establish and |
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implement the competitive grant program required by Subchapter I, |
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Chapter 73, Education Code, as added by this Act, and, with the |
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assistance of the Reach Out and Read National Center, publish the |
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guidelines required by Section 73.606, Education Code, as added by |
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this Act; and |
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(4) not later than December 1, 2011, submit the |
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initial annual report required by Subdivision (2), Subsection (b), |
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Section 73.608, Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act does not make an appropriation. A |
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provision in this Act that creates a new governmental program, |
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creates a new entitlement, or imposes a new duty on a governmental |
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entity is not mandatory during a fiscal period for which the |
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legislature has not made a specific appropriation to implement the |
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provision. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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