BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2233

By: Thompson, Senfronia

Juvenile Justice & Family Issues

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Research has demonstrated that evidence-based parent education is one of the most effective strategies in preventing child maltreatment and that such education can lower the rate of social, emotional, and behavioral problems in children and improve school readiness. Interested parties assert that these programs successfully reduce the risk factors associated with child maltreatment and result in an overall decrease in community-wide rates of child maltreatment, hospitalizations from child maltreatment, and out-of-home placements and that significant savings can be realized from the lower rates of child maltreatment and social, emotional, and behavioral problems in children. H.B. 2233 seeks to establish a parent education pilot program to assist community organizations in providing parent education classes to certain parents. 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2233 amends the Human Resources Code to require the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to establish a parent education pilot program in a county with a population of at least four million to assist community organizations in the county in providing parent education classes to parents of children 12 years of age and younger. The bill requires DFPS as part of the pilot program to provide training in an evidence-based parent education program to the staff of each community organization in the county that agrees to provide family support and parent education classes that target parents of children 12 years of age and younger. The bill requires a community organization that participates in the pilot program to have the organization's staff trained in an evidence-based parent education program, to provide evidence-based family support and parent education classes to parents of children 12 years of age and younger, to recruit parents to attend family support and parent education classes provided by the organization, to complete the evaluation and participant progress paperwork required by DFPS, and to participate in peer support activities and meetings.

H.B. 2233 requires DFPS, not later than January 1, 2019, to submit to the legislature a report on the pilot program that includes an evaluation of the pilot program with statistics from reports of parents who have taken family support and parent education classes from a community organization, an evaluation of the pilot program's impact, and a recommendation as to whether the pilot program should be continued, expanded, or implemented throughout Texas. The bill authorizes DFPS to accept a gift, grant, or donation from any source to carry out the purposes of the bill's provisions and authorizes the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission to adopt rules to implement the bill's provisions. The bill's provisions expire September 1, 2019.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.