BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3686

By: Naishtat

Human Services

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Council on Children and Families, composed primarily of directors of state agencies serving children and youth, was created to coordinate and leverage resources in the pursuit of efficient and effective delivery of services to children and their families.  The council recently identified opportunities to leverage additional funding to support efforts to improve interagency coordination, efficiencies, and outcomes through grants for services, infrastructure development, and other resources such as technical assistance, best practices training, and educational opportunities.

Noting that many state agencies may not be able to pursue such opportunities for additional funding because of budgetary constraints and inadequate staff resources, the council recommended that staff be funded and dedicated to interagency grant and resource coordination. H.B. 3686 seeks to implement this recommendation by charging the Council on Children and Families with coordinating such interagency grant or resource development efforts.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 3686 amends the Government Code to require the Council on Children and Families to coordinate interagency grant or resource development efforts to improve efficiencies and outcomes for children and families, including possible dedication of staff to assist individual health, education, human services, juvenile justice, and workforce agencies to write or develop interagency grants and coordinate resources, coordinate or lead interagency grant or resource development efforts, and assist the council to facilitate interagency resource and policy coordination.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2013.