BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 475

By: Howard

Human Services

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerns have been raised over various challenges faced by children in the managing conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) who are pregnant or who are minor parents. It has been suggested that this population of youth should have better access to certain information on providing safe environments for children. C.S.H.B. 475 seeks to address these concerns by requiring DFPS to ensure that such children receive this type of information at developmentally appropriate stages.

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 this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 475 amends the Family Code to require the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) at developmentally appropriate stages to ensure that children in DFPS managing conservatorship who are pregnant or who are minor parents receive information on and support in providing safe environments for children, including information and support regarding the following topics:

· safe sleeping arrangements;

· suggestions for childproofing potentially dangerous settings in a home;

· child development and methods to cope with challenging behaviors;

· selection of appropriate substitute caregivers;

· a child's early brain development, including the importance of meeting an infant's developmental needs by providing positive experiences and avoiding adverse experiences;

· the importance of paternal involvement in a child's life and methods for coparenting;

· the benefits of reading, singing, and talking to young children;

· the importance of prenatal and postpartum care for both the mother and the infant, including the impact of and signs for perinatal mood disorders;

· family planning, including counseling regarding the prevention of unplanned subsequent pregnancies;

· infant nutrition and the importance of breastfeeding; and

· healthy relationships, including the prevention of intimate partner violence.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 475 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute revises the requirement for DFPS to provide certain information and support to children in the managing conservatorship of DFPS by requiring DFPS to ensure that children receive that information and support.

The substitute includes the following topics among the information and support provided to minors in the managing conservatorship of DFPS who are pregnant or parents:

· child development;

· methods for coparenting;

· the benefits of singing to young children;

· the importance of prenatal and postpartum care for both the mother and infant;

· signs for perinatal mood disorders;

· family planning;

· infant nutrition and the importance of breastfeeding; and

· healthy relationships.

The substitute changes the topic included in the information and support relating to coping methods from methods to cope with crying infants to methods to cope with challenging behaviors.