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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a study conducted by Texas A&M University on services |
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for children and families available in rural counties for children |
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in the managing conservatorship of the Department of Family and |
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Protective Services. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services |
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Commission. |
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(2) "Department" means the Department of Family and |
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Protective Services. |
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(3) "Rural county" means a county with a population of |
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less than 50,000. |
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(4) "Services for children and families" includes |
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mental health services, medical services, specialized medical |
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services, and child protective services. |
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(b) The board of regents of The Texas A&M University System |
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shall designate a department or entity at Texas A&M University to |
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conduct a study on services for children and families available to |
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be provided in rural counties to children in the managing |
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conservatorship of the department and to the parents of those |
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children. The study must: |
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(1) determine what types of services for children and |
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families are available to the children and parents in rural |
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counties; |
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(2) determine the number of clinics, physicians, and |
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other service providers that are available to provide services for |
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children and families to children and parents in rural counties; |
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(3) determine the number of clinics, offices of |
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physicians, and other providers of services for children and |
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families in rural counties that have closed in the preceding five |
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years; |
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(4) propose actions the commission and department can |
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take to address any shortage in the provision of services for |
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children and families to children and parents in rural counties, |
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including: |
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(A) the provision of services through |
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telemedicine medical services and telehealth services in rural |
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counties; |
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(B) partnerships between the commission or |
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department and institutions of higher education to provide services |
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in rural counties; and |
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(C) incentives offered by the commission or |
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department to service providers for providing services in rural |
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counties; and |
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(5) make recommendations to the legislature for |
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increasing the quality and quantity of services provided to the |
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children and parents in rural counties. |
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(c) The department or entity at Texas A&M University |
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designated by the board of regents to conduct the study shall |
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provide the study results and recommendations to the governor, |
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lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and |
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each member of the legislature not later than December 1, 2018. |
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(d) This section expires September 1, 2019. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |