H.B. No. 662
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the coordination, improvement, and funding of certain
  programs and services for the prevention of and early intervention
  in child abuse and neglect.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 265.001(1), Family Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
               (1)  "Department" means the Department of Family and 
  Protective [and Regulatory] Services.
         SECTION 2.  Chapter 265, Family Code, is amended by adding
  Section 265.005 to read as follows:
         Sec. 265.005.  STRATEGIC PLAN FOR CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT
  PREVENTION SERVICES. (a) Not later than December 1, 2008, in
  consultation with the Interagency Coordinating Council for
  Building Healthy Families, the department shall develop a
  statewide, long-range strategic plan for child abuse and neglect
  prevention services. The plan must include:
               (1)  a strategy for the state and political
  subdivisions of the state to:
                     (A)  reduce their need for services addressing
  child maltreatment; and
                     (B)  transition to a system that promotes child
  abuse and neglect prevention services in order to use cost savings
  to increase prevention services funding in the future; and
               (2)  details for child abuse and neglect public
  awareness efforts and outreach.
         (b)  The department shall assist the Interagency
  Coordinating Council for Building Healthy Families in any
  reasonable manner requested by the council in preparing the portion
  of the council's report to the legislature regarding the strategic
  plan required by Section 267.001(g).
         (c)  This section expires September 1, 2009.
         SECTION 3.  Chapter 266, Family Code, as added by Chapter
  587, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, is
  redesignated as Chapter 267, Family Code, and is renumbered and
  amended to read as follows:
         CHAPTER 267 [266]. INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COUNCIL FOR BUILDING
  HEALTHY FAMILIES
         Sec. 267.001 [266.001]. INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COUNCIL FOR
  BUILDING HEALTHY FAMILIES. (a) The Interagency Coordinating
  Council for Building Healthy Families is established to:
               (1) facilitate communication and collaboration
  concerning policies for the prevention of and early intervention in
  child abuse and neglect among state agencies whose programs and
  services promote and foster healthy families;
               (2)  facilitate improvements in the coordination of
  service delivery among those agencies;
               (3)  provide information and other resources to assist
  those agencies; and
               (4)  receive input from those agencies in order to
  develop and improve policies for the prevention of and early
  intervention in child abuse and neglect.
         (b)  The council consists of one representative from each of
  the following agencies appointed by the executive director or
  commissioner of each agency:
               (1)  the Department of Family and Protective Services;
               (2)  the Health and Human Services Commission;
               (3)  the Department of State Health Services;
               (4)  the Department of Aging and Disability Services;
               (5)  the Texas Youth Commission;
               (6)  the Texas Education Agency;
               (7)  the Texas Workforce Commission;
               (8)  the office of the attorney general;
               (9)  the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission; [and]
               (10)  the Texas Department of Housing and Community
  Affairs; and
               (11)  the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative
  Services.
         (c)  A representative of an agency appointed to the council
  must have an overall understanding of the agency's mission and
  purpose and substantial experience and expertise relating to the
  administration of the agency's policies, programs, and activities.
         (d)  The representative from the Department of Family and
  Protective Services serves as the presiding officer of the council.
         (e)  The council shall meet at least quarterly and shall
  submit to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of
  representatives, and the legislature the minutes of each council
  meeting.
         (f)  The council shall evaluate:
               (1)  the potential for streamlined funding mechanisms
  for programs and services for the prevention of and early
  intervention in child abuse and neglect;
               (2)  the effectiveness and cost efficiency of
  state-funded programs and services for the prevention of and early
  intervention in child abuse and neglect;
               (3)  the effectiveness of state-funded child
  maltreatment prevention programs and services in achieving their
  intended outcomes and methods for transitioning those programs and
  services to an increased reliance on evidence-based practices;
               (4)  methods for the ongoing identification of
  additional opportunities for comprehensive improvements to the
  delivery of services for the prevention of and early intervention
  in child abuse and neglect; and
               (5)  the need for increased state funding for programs
  and services for the prevention of and early intervention in child
  abuse and neglect in order to ensure a sustained, long-term,
  cost-effective investment in families in this state [Not later than
  June 1, 2006, the council shall prepare and submit to the lieutenant
  governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the
  legislature an inventory of the child abuse and neglect prevention
  and early intervention policies, programs, and activities of each
  agency represented on the council].
         (g)  Not later than December 1, 2008 [2006], the council
  shall prepare and submit to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of
  the house of representatives, and the legislature a report
  containing the council's recommendations for improving the
  coordination and collaboration of child abuse and neglect
  prevention and early intervention programs and services among state
  agencies. The council shall include in the report:
               (1)  the status of the council's findings based on the
  council's evaluation under Subsections (f)(1), (4), and (5);
               (2)  details regarding the strategic plan for child
  abuse and neglect prevention services developed by the Department
  of Family and Protective Services in consultation with the council
  under Section 265.005;
               (3)  the council's recommendations regarding
  implementation of the strategic plan, including a detailed
  explanation of the resources, the funds, and any interagency or
  intergovernmental agreements necessary to accomplish the plan;
  and
               (4)  the council's recommendation regarding whether to
  continue the council.
         (h)  Not later than December 1, 2009, the council shall
  prepare and submit to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the
  house of representatives, and the legislature a report containing
  the status of the council's findings based on the council's
  evaluation under Subsections (f)(2) and (3).
         Sec. 267.002 [266.002].  EXPIRATION OF CHAPTER. This
  chapter expires January [September] 1, 2010 [2007].
         SECTION 4.  Section 40.105, Human Resources Code, is amended
  by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (e) to read as
  follows:
         (a)  The child abuse and neglect prevention trust fund
  account is an account in the general revenue fund. Money in the
  trust fund is dedicated to child abuse prevention programs.
         (e)  All marriage license fees and other fees collected for
  and deposited in the trust fund and interest earned on the trust
  fund balance shall be appropriated each biennium only to the
  operating fund for primary child abuse prevention programs.
         SECTION 5.  Section 40.105(e), Human Resources Code, as
  added by this Act, takes effect September 1, 2010.
         SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 662 was passed by the House on April
  30, 2007, by the following vote:  Yeas 145, Nays 0, 1 present, not
  voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
  No. 662 on May 21, 2007, by the following vote:  Yeas 141, Nays 0, 2
  present, not voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 662 was passed by the Senate, with
  amendments, on May 17, 2007, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays
  0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate   
  APPROVED: __________________
                  Date       
   
           __________________
                Governor