By: Nelson, et al. S.B. No. 426
 
  (Zerwas)
 
   
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to a home visiting program for at-risk families.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 531, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subchapter X to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER X.  TEXAS HOME VISITING PROGRAM
         Sec. 531.981.  DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
               (1)  "Home visiting program" means a
  voluntary-enrollment program in which early childhood and health
  professionals such as nurses, social workers, or trained and
  supervised paraprofessionals repeatedly visit over a period of at
  least six months the homes of pregnant women or families with
  children under the age of six who are born with or exposed to one or
  more risk factors.
               (2)  "Risk factors" means factors that make a child
  more likely to experience adverse experiences leading to negative
  consequences, including preterm birth, poverty, low parental
  education, having a teenaged mother or father, poor maternal
  health, and parental underemployment or unemployment.
         Sec. 531.982.  ESTABLISHMENT OF TEXAS HOME VISITING PROGRAM.
  (a)  The commission shall create a strategic plan to serve at-risk
  pregnant women and families with children under the age of six
  through home visiting programs that improve outcomes for parents
  and families.
         (b)  A pregnant woman or family is considered at-risk for
  purposes of this section and may be eligible for voluntary
  enrollment in a home visiting program if the woman or family is
  exposed to one or more risk factors.
         (c)  The commission may determine if a risk factor or
  combination of risk factors experienced by an at-risk pregnant
  woman or family qualifies the woman or family for enrollment in a
  home visiting program.
         Sec. 531.983.  TYPES OF HOME VISITING PROGRAMS. (a)  A home
  visiting program is classified as either an evidence-based program
  or a promising practice program.
         (b)  An evidence-based program is a home visiting program
  that:
               (1)  is research-based and grounded in relevant,
  empirically based knowledge and program-determined outcomes;
               (2)  is associated with a national organization,
  institution of higher education, or national or state public health
  institute;
               (3)  has comprehensive standards that ensure
  high-quality service delivery and continuously improving quality;
               (4)  has demonstrated significant positive short-term
  and long-term outcomes;
               (5)  has been evaluated by at least one rigorous
  randomized controlled research trial across heterogeneous
  populations or communities, the results of at least one of which has
  been published in a peer-reviewed journal;
               (6)  follows with fidelity a program manual or design
  that specifies the purpose, outcomes, duration, and frequency of
  the services that constitute the program;
               (7)  employs well-trained and competent staff and
  provides continual relevant professional development
  opportunities;
               (8)  demonstrates strong links to other
  community-based services; and
               (9)  ensures compliance with home visiting standards.
         (c)  A promising practice program is a home visiting program
  that:
               (1)  has an active impact evaluation program or can
  demonstrate a timeline for implementing an active impact evaluation
  program;
               (2)  has been evaluated by at least one outcome-based
  study demonstrating effectiveness or a randomized controlled trial
  in a homogeneous sample;
               (3)  follows with fidelity a program manual or design
  that specifies the purpose, outcomes, duration, and frequency of
  the services that constitute the program;
               (4)  employs well-trained and competent staff and
  provides continual relevant professional development
  opportunities;
               (5)  demonstrates strong links to other
  community-based services; and
               (6)  ensures compliance with home visiting standards.
         Sec. 531.984.  FUNDING. (a)  The commission shall ensure
  that at least 75 percent of funds appropriated for home visiting
  programs are used in evidence-based programs, with any remaining
  funds dedicated to promising practice programs.
         (b)  The commission shall actively seek and apply for any
  available federal funds to support home visiting programs,
  including federal funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy
  Families program.
         (c)  The commission may accept gifts, donations, and grants
  to support home visiting programs.
         Sec. 531.985.  OUTCOMES. The commission shall ensure that a
  home visiting program achieves favorable outcomes in at least two
  of the following areas:
               (1)  improved maternal or child health outcomes;
               (2)  improved cognitive development of children;
               (3)  increased school readiness of children;
               (4)  reduced child abuse, neglect, and injury;
               (5)  improved child safety;
               (6)  improved social-emotional development of
  children;
               (7)  improved parenting skills, including nurturing
  and bonding;
               (8)  improved family economic self-sufficiency;
               (9)  reduced parental involvement with the criminal
  justice system; and
               (10)  increased father involvement and support.
         Sec. 531.986.  EVALUATION OF HOME VISITING PROGRAM.
  (a)  The commission shall adopt outcome indicators to measure the
  effectiveness of a home visiting program in achieving desired
  outcomes.
         (b)  The commission may work directly with the model
  developer of a home visiting program to identify appropriate
  outcome indicators for the program and to ensure that the program
  demonstrates fidelity to its research model.
         (c)  The commission shall develop internal processes to work
  with home visiting programs to share data and information to aid in
  making relevant analysis of the performance of a home visiting
  program.
         (d)  The commission shall use data gathered under this
  section to monitor, conduct ongoing quality improvement on, and
  evaluate the effectiveness of home visiting programs.
         Sec. 531.987.  INITIAL REPORT. (a)  Not later than December
  1, 2014, the commission shall prepare and submit a report on
  state-funded home visiting programs to the Senate Committee on
  Health and Human Services and the House Human Services Committee or
  their successors.
         (b)  The report submitted under this section must include:
               (1)  the status of the implementation process,
  including a description of home visiting programs being implemented
  and the associated models; and
               (2)  data on the number of families being served and
  their demographic information.
         (c)  This section expires January 1, 2015.
         Sec. 531.9871.  REPORTS TO LEGISLATURE.  (a)  Not later than
  December 1 of each even-numbered year, the commission shall prepare
  and submit a report on state-funded home visiting programs to the
  Senate Committee on Health and Human Services and the House Human
  Services Committee or their successors.
         (b)  A report submitted under this section must include:
               (1)  a description of home visiting programs being
  implemented and the associated models;
               (2)  data on the number of families being served and
  their demographic information;
               (3)  the goals and achieved outcomes of home visiting
  programs;
               (4)  data on cost per family served, including
  third-party return-on-investment analysis, if available; and
               (5)  data explaining what percentage of funding has
  been used on evidence-based programs and what percentage of funding
  has been used on promising practice programs.
         Sec. 531.988.  RULES. The commission may adopt rules as
  necessary to implement this subchapter.
         SECTION 2.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) of
  this section, this Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
         (b)  Section 531.9871, Government Code, as added by this Act,
  takes effect January 15, 2015.