84R19290 YDB-F

By: Thompson of Harris H.B. No. 2630

Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2630:

By: Dutton C.S.H.B. No. 2630

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to certain programs provided to families of children at risk for abuse and neglect.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 264.201(d), Family Code, is amended to read as follows:

(d) The services may include in-home programs, parenting skills training, youth coping skills, and individual and family counseling. If the department requires or a court orders parenting skills training services through a parenting education program, the program must be an evidence-based or promising practice parenting education program described by Section 265.051 that is provided in the community in which the family resides, if available.

SECTION 2. Chapter 265, Family Code, is amended by designating Sections 265.001, 265.002, 265.003, and 265.004 as Subchapter A and adding a subchapter heading to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS

SECTION 3. Section 265.004, Family Code, is amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (a-1) and (a-2) to read as follows:

(a) To the extent that money is appropriated for the purpose, the department shall fund evidence-based programs, including parenting education, home visitation, family support services, mentoring, positive youth development programs, and crisis counseling, offered by community-based organizations that are designed to prevent or ameliorate child abuse and neglect. The [evidence-based] programs funded under this subsection may be offered by a child welfare board established under Section 264.005, a local governmental board granted the powers and duties of a child welfare board under state law, [or] a children's advocacy center established under Section 264.402, or other persons determined appropriate by the department.

(a-1) The department shall ensure that not less than 75 percent of the money appropriated for parenting education programs under Subsection (a) funds evidence-based programs described by Section 265.051(b) and that the remainder of that money funds promising practice programs described by Section 265.051(c).

(a-2) The department shall actively seek and apply for any available federal funds to support parenting education programs provided under this section.

SECTION 4. Chapter 265, Family Code, is amended by adding Subchapter B to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER B. PARENTING EDUCATION

Sec. 265.051. PARENTING EDUCATION PROGRAMS. (a) A parenting education program provided by the department or ordered by a court under Chapter 264 or this chapter must be an evidence-based program or a promising practice program described by this section.

(b) An evidence-based program is a parenting education program that:

(1) is research-based and grounded in relevant, empirical knowledge and program-determined outcomes;

(2) has comprehensive standards ensuring the highest quality service delivery with continuous improvement in the quality of service delivery;

(3) has demonstrated significant positive short-term and long-term outcomes;

(4) has been evaluated by at least one rigorous, random, controlled research trial across heterogeneous populations or communities with research results that have been published in a peer-reviewed journal;

(5) substantially complies with a program manual or design that specifies the purpose, outcomes, duration, and frequency of the program services; and

(6) employs well-trained and competent staff and provides continual relevant professional development opportunities to the staff.

(c) A promising practice program is a parenting education program that:

(1) has an active impact evaluation program or demonstrates a schedule for implementing an active impact evaluation program;

(2) has been evaluated by at least one outcome-based study demonstrating effectiveness or random, controlled trial in a homogeneous sample;

(3) substantially complies with a program manual or design that specifies the purpose, outcomes, duration, and frequency of the program services;

(4) employs well-trained and competent staff and provides continual relevant professional development opportunities to the staff; and

(5) is research-based and grounded in relevant, empirical knowledge and program-determined outcomes.

Sec. 265.052. OUTCOMES OF EVIDENCE-BASED PARENTING EDUCATION. The department shall ensure that a parenting education program provided under Chapter 264 or this chapter achieves favorable behavioral outcomes in at least two of the following areas:

(1) improved cognitive development of children;

(2) increased school readiness of children;

(3) reduced child abuse, neglect, and injury;

(4) improved child safety;

(5) improved social-emotional development of children;

(6) improved parenting skills, including nurturing and bonding;

(7) improved family economic self-sufficiency;

(8) reduced parental involvement with the criminal justice system; and

(9) increased paternal involvement and support.

Sec. 265.053. EVALUATION OF EVIDENCE-BASED PARENTING EDUCATION. (a) The department shall adopt outcome indicators to measure the effectiveness of parenting education programs provided under Chapter 264 or this chapter in achieving desired outcomes.

(b) The department may work directly with the model developer of a parenting education program to identify appropriate outcome indicators for the program and to ensure that the program substantially complies with the model.

(c) The department shall develop internal processes to share information with parenting education programs to assist the department in analyzing the performance of the programs.

(d) The department shall use information obtained under this section to:

(1) monitor parenting education programs;

(2) continually improve the quality of the programs; and

(3) evaluate the effectiveness of the programs.

Sec. 265.0535. INITIAL REPORT. (a) Not later than December 1, 2016, the department shall prepare and submit a report on state-funded parenting education programs to the standing committees of the senate and house of representatives with jurisdiction over child protective services.

(b) The report submitted under this section must include:

(1) the status and a description of the parenting education programs implemented and a description of the models associated with the programs; and

(2) information on the number of families served by the programs, including their demographic information.

(c) This section expires January 1, 2017.

Sec. 265.054. REPORTS TO LEGISLATURE. (a) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year, the department shall prepare and submit a report on state-funded parenting education programs to the standing committees of the senate and house of representatives with jurisdiction over child protective services.

(b) A report submitted under this section must include:

(1) a description of the parenting education programs implemented and of the models associated with the programs;

(2) information on the families served by the programs, including the number of families served and their demographic information;

(3) the goals and achieved outcomes of the programs;

(4) information on the cost for each family served, including any available third-party return-on-investment analysis; and

(5) information explaining the percentage of money spent on evidence-based programs and on promising practice programs.

Sec. 265.055. RULES. The executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission may adopt rules as necessary to implement this subchapter.

SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to a program provided under Chapter 265, Family Code, on or after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.