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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to prevention and early intervention services provided by |
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the Department of Family and Protective Services. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 265.005, Family Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (f) to read as |
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follows: |
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(b) A strategic plan required under this section must: |
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(1) identify methods to leverage other sources of |
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funding or provide support for existing community-based prevention |
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efforts; |
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(2) include a needs assessment that identifies |
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programs to best target the needs of the highest risk populations |
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and geographic areas; |
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(3) identify the goals and priorities for the |
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department's overall prevention efforts; |
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(4) report the results of previous prevention efforts |
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using available information in the plan; |
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(5) identify additional methods of measuring program |
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effectiveness and results or outcomes; |
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(6) identify methods to collaborate with other state |
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agencies on prevention efforts; [and] |
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(7) identify specific strategies to implement the plan |
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and to develop measures for reporting on the overall progress |
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toward the plan's goals; and |
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(8) include a growth strategy with the goal of |
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increasing the number of families receiving prevention and early |
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intervention services each year, subject to the availability of |
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funds, with the initial goal of providing services to 50 percent of |
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the highest risk families that are eligible to receive services |
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through home visiting and community-based programs financed with |
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federal, state, local, or private resources. |
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(f) In this section, "highest risk family" means a family |
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that has children five years of age or younger and whose family |
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income is at or below 50 percent of the federal poverty level. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 265, Family Code, is |
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amended by adding Sections 265.007 and 265.008 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 265.007. IMPROVING PROVISION OF PREVENTION AND EARLY |
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INTERVENTION SERVICES. To improve the effectiveness and delivery |
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of prevention and early intervention services, the department |
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shall: |
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(1) use a geographic focus to ensure that prevention |
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and early intervention services are provided to families with the |
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greatest need; |
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(2) identify the geographic areas that have the |
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highest need for prevention and early intervention services using: |
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(A) verified external risk terrain modeling; or |
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(B) geographic risk assessments that use risk |
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indicators of child abuse or neglect and child abuse fatalities; |
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(3) identify geographic areas that have a high need |
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for prevention and early intervention services but do not have |
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prevention and early intervention services available in the area or |
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have only unevaluated prevention and early intervention services |
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available in the area; and |
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(4) develop strategies for community partners to: |
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(A) improve the early recognition of child abuse |
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or neglect; |
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(B) improve the reporting of child abuse and |
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neglect; and |
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(C) prevent child fatalities. |
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Sec. 265.008. EVALUATION OF PREVENTION AND EARLY |
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INTERVENTION SERVICES. (a) The department and the Texas Higher |
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Education Coordinating Board shall enter into agreements with |
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institutions of higher education to conduct efficacy reviews of any |
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prevention and early intervention services provided under this |
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chapter that have not previously been evaluated for effectiveness |
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in a research evaluation that meets the standards described by |
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Subsection (b). The efficacy review shall include, when possible, a |
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cost-benefit analysis of the program to the state. |
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(b) A prevention and early intervention services program is |
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considered to have been previously evaluated if it has been |
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evaluated by at least one rigorous randomized controlled research |
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trial across heterogeneous populations or communities, the results |
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of at least one of which have been published in a peer-reviewed |
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journal. |
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(c) The department is not required to enter into an |
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agreement to conduct a program efficacy evaluation under this |
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section unless: |
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(1) the department is specifically appropriated money |
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for the purposes of this section; or |
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(2) the agreement with the institution of higher |
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education is cost neutral. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |