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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the duties of the Council on Children and Families and |
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creating a committee to advise the council on child abuse |
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prevention issues. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 531.802(a), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) The Council on Children and Families is established to: |
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(1) coordinate the state's health, education, and |
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human services systems to ensure that children and families have |
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access to needed services; |
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(2) improve coordination and efficiency in state |
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agencies, advisory councils on issues affecting children, and local |
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levels of service; |
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(3) prioritize and mobilize resources for children; |
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(4) facilitate an integrated approach to providing |
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services for children and youth; [and] |
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(5) promote the sharing of information regarding |
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children and their families among state agencies; and |
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(6) coordinate and enhance child abuse prevention |
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services. |
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SECTION 2. Section 531.803(a), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) The council shall: |
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(1) analyze the biennial legislative appropriations |
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requests of members of the council for services provided to |
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children and their families and identify appropriations that, |
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through the coordination of members of the council, could be |
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modified in the next legislative appropriation request to eliminate |
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waste or increase available services and, not later than May 1 of |
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each even-numbered year, prepare a report recommending those |
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modifications for consideration during the development of the next |
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biennial legislative appropriations request; |
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(2) investigate opportunities to increase flexible |
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funding for health, education, and human services provided to |
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children and their families; |
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(3) identify methods to remove barriers to local |
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coordination of health, education, and human services provided to |
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children and their families; |
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(4) identify methods to ensure that children and youth |
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receive appropriate assessment, diagnoses, and intervention |
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services; |
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(5) develop methods to prevent unnecessary parental |
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relinquishment of custody of children; |
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(6) prioritize assisting children in family settings |
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rather than institutional settings; |
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(7) make recommendations about family involvement in |
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the provision and planning of health, education, and human services |
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for a child, including family partner and liaison models; [and] |
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(8) identify technological methods to ensure the |
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efficient and timely transfer of information among state agencies |
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providing health, education, and human services to children and |
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their families; and |
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(9) identify and develop methods and strategies to |
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coordinate and enhance child abuse prevention services for families |
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with children. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter T, Chapter 531, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 531.8031 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 531.8031. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) The council shall |
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establish the prevention committee to advise the council regarding |
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the coordination and enhancement of child abuse prevention |
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services. |
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(b) The prevention committee is composed of five public |
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members appointed by the executive commissioner who are actively |
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involved in the fields of child welfare and child abuse and neglect |
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prevention. |
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(c) The prevention committee shall select one of its members |
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to serve as presiding officer of the committee for a term of one |
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year. |
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(d) The prevention committee shall hold meetings at the call |
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of the presiding officer. |
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(e) The prevention committee shall: |
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(1) advise the council on the use of social impact |
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bonds to finance child abuse prevention programs; |
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(2) use maps and other data compiled by the commission |
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and counties to compare the reports of child abuse in the state with |
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the child abuse prevention programs provided in the state; and |
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(3) assist the council in: |
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(A) ensuring that money appropriated by the |
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legislature for child abuse prevention programs is used for that |
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purpose; |
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(B) facilitating the engagement of the private |
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and philanthropic sectors in child abuse prevention across the |
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state; and |
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(C) maximizing the funding leverage of federal, |
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state, local, and private money for child abuse prevention |
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programs. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |