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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the collection and use of certain information relating |
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to child abuse and neglect and the provision of prevention and early |
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intervention services. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 265, Family Code, is |
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amended by adding Sections 265.0041, 265.0043, and 265.0044 to read |
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as follows: |
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Sec. 265.0041. GEOGRAPHIC RISK MAPPING FOR PREVENTION AND |
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EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES. (a) The department shall use |
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existing risk terrain modeling systems, predictive analytic |
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systems, or geographic risk assessments or shall develop a system |
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or assessment under Subsection (c) to: |
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(1) identify geographic areas that have high risk |
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indicators of child maltreatment and child fatalities resulting |
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from abuse or neglect; and |
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(2) target the implementation and use of prevention |
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and early intervention services to those geographic areas. |
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(b) The department may not use data gathered under this |
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section to identify a specific family or individual. |
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(c) The Health and Human Services Commission, on behalf of |
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the department, may enter into agreements with institutions of |
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higher education to develop or adapt, in coordination with the |
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department, a risk terrain modeling system, a predictive analytic |
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system, or a geographic risk assessment to be used for purposes of |
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this section. |
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Sec. 265.0043. INTERAGENCY SHARING OF DATA FOR RISK TERRAIN |
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MODELING. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, state |
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agencies, including the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Juvenile |
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Justice Department, and the Department of Public Safety, shall |
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disclose information related to child abuse or neglect to the |
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department for the purpose of developing a risk terrain modeling |
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system under Section 265.0041. |
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Sec. 265.0044. ETHICAL GUIDELINES. (a) The executive |
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commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission, in |
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consultation with the prevention advisory committee, shall develop |
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guidelines regarding: |
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(1) the type of risk terrain modeling data to be |
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collected by the department and the acceptable uses of the data; |
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(2) the types of data that may be shared; and |
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(3) the methods for sharing the data and final |
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geographic risk maps. |
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(b) In developing the guidelines required under Subsection |
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(a), the executive commissioner shall consider whether the |
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department plans to make any data the department collects |
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available: |
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(1) for use in research that has been approved by an |
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institutional review board; or |
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(2) to researchers who are working in collaboration |
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with an institution of higher education. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |