| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the establishment of an early childhood mental health |
|
|
home visiting grant program. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Chapter 137, Human Resources Code, is amended by |
|
|
adding Subchapter G to read as follows: |
|
|
SUBCHAPTER G. EARLY CHILDHOOD MENTAL HEALTH HOME VISITING GRANT |
|
|
PROGRAM |
|
|
Sec. 137.301. ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION OF EARLY |
|
|
CHILDHOOD MENTAL HEALTH HOME VISITING GRANT PROGRAM. (a) The |
|
|
commission shall establish and operate an early childhood mental |
|
|
health home visiting grant program through which the commission |
|
|
will award grants to implement, expand, and maintain early |
|
|
childhood mental health home visiting services in this state to |
|
|
support families with a high level of need, including a history of |
|
|
trauma. |
|
|
(b) To be eligible for a grant under this subchapter, an |
|
|
applicant must: |
|
|
(1) demonstrate a commitment to a family-centered, |
|
|
system of care approach to providing comprehensive, coordinated |
|
|
services to children and families; and |
|
|
(2) have experience providing successful early |
|
|
childhood mental health or prevention services for low-income, |
|
|
high-risk families, as the executive commissioner determines by |
|
|
rule. |
|
|
(c) In awarding a grant under this subchapter, the |
|
|
commission shall give preference to applicants with experience in |
|
|
providing home-based services to children and families. |
|
|
(d) The commission may award a grant under this subchapter |
|
|
only in accordance with a contract between the commission and grant |
|
|
recipient. The contract must include provisions under which the |
|
|
commission is granted sufficient control to ensure the public |
|
|
purpose of providing early childhood mental health home visiting |
|
|
services is accomplished and this state receives the return |
|
|
benefit. |
|
|
Sec. 137.302. STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS. (a) The |
|
|
executive commissioner by rule shall adopt standards for grant |
|
|
recipients under this subchapter. In adopting the standards, the |
|
|
executive commissioner shall take into consideration applicable |
|
|
evidence-based early childhood home visiting service delivery |
|
|
models. |
|
|
(b) In addition to meeting the standards the executive |
|
|
commissioner adopts under Subsection (a), a grant recipient under |
|
|
this subchapter must: |
|
|
(1) strictly adhere to an evidence-based early |
|
|
childhood service delivery model the commission selects in |
|
|
accordance with criteria set by the United States Department of |
|
|
Health and Human Services for an early childhood home visiting |
|
|
service delivery model; and |
|
|
(2) require that a team consisting of a licensed |
|
|
mental health professional and a care coordinator support families |
|
|
through home-based services to: |
|
|
(A) improve child and parent mental health; |
|
|
(B) promote school readiness; |
|
|
(C) decrease child abuse and neglect; and |
|
|
(D) improve the immediate and long-term health |
|
|
and well-being of families. |
|
|
Sec. 137.303. FUNDING. The commission may solicit, |
|
|
contract for, receive, accept, or administer gifts, grants, and |
|
|
donations of money or property from any source to carry out this |
|
|
subchapter. |
|
|
Sec. 137.304. RULES. The executive commissioner may adopt |
|
|
rules as necessary to implement this subchapter. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |