By: Harris, Van de Putte  S.B. No. 717
         (In the Senate - Filed February 15, 2011; February 23, 2011,
  read first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human
  Services; April 7, 2011, reported favorably by the following vote:  
  Yeas 8, Nays 0; April 7, 2011, sent to printer.)
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the purpose and duties of the Council on Children and
  Families.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subsection (a), Section 531.802, Government
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The Council on Children and Families is established to:
               (1)  coordinate the state's health, education, and
  human services systems to ensure that children and families have
  access to needed services;
               (2)  improve coordination and efficiency in state
  agencies, advisory councils on issues affecting children, and local
  levels of service;
               (3)  prioritize and mobilize resources for children;
  [and]
               (4)  facilitate an integrated approach to providing
  services for children and youth; and
               (5)  promote the sharing of information regarding
  children and their families among state agencies.
         SECTION 2.  Subsection (a), Section 531.803, Government
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The council shall:
               (1)  analyze the biennial legislative appropriations
  requests of members of the council for services provided to
  children and their families and identify appropriations that,
  through the coordination of members of the council, could be
  modified in the next legislative appropriation request to eliminate
  waste or increase available services and, not later than May 1 of
  each even-numbered year, prepare a report recommending those
  modifications for consideration during the development of the next
  biennial legislative appropriations request;
               (2)  investigate opportunities to increase flexible
  funding for health, education, and human services provided to
  children and their families;
               (3)  identify methods to remove barriers to local
  coordination of health, education, and human services provided to
  children and their families;
               (4)  identify methods to ensure that children and youth
  receive appropriate assessment, diagnoses, and intervention
  services;
               (5)  develop methods to prevent unnecessary parental
  relinquishment of custody of children;
               (6)  prioritize assisting children in family settings
  rather than institutional settings; [and]
               (7)  make recommendations about family involvement in
  the provision and planning of health, education, and human services
  for a child, including family partner and liaison models; and
               (8)  identify technological methods to ensure the
  efficient and timely transfer of information among state agencies
  providing health, education, and human services to children and
  their families.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.
 
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