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  S.B. No. 156
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to a competitive grant program to fund nurse-family
  partnership programs in certain communities in this state.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 531, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subchapter M to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER M.  NURSE-FAMILY PARTNERSHIP COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM
         Sec. 531.451.  DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
               (1)  "Competitive grant program" means the
  nurse-family partnership competitive grant program established
  under this subchapter.
               (2)  "Partnership program" means a nurse-family
  partnership program.
         Sec. 531.452.  ESTABLISHMENT OF NURSE-FAMILY PARTNERSHIP
  COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM. (a)  The commission shall establish a
  nurse-family partnership competitive grant program through which
  the commission will award grants for the implementation of
  nurse-family partnership programs, or the expansion of existing
  programs, and for the operation of those programs for a period of
  not less than two years.
         (b)  The commission shall award grants under the program to
  applicants, including applicants operating existing programs, in a
  manner that ensures that the partnership programs collectively:
               (1)  operate in multiple communities that are
  geographically distributed throughout this state; and
               (2)  provide program services to approximately 2,000
  families.
         Sec. 531.453.  PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.  A
  partnership program funded through a grant awarded under this
  subchapter must:
               (1)  strictly adhere to the program model developed by
  the Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office, including
  any clinical, programmatic, and data collection requirements of
  that model;
               (2)  require that registered nurses regularly visit the
  homes of low-income, first-time mothers participating in the
  program to provide services designed to:
                     (A)  improve pregnancy outcomes;
                     (B)  improve child health and development;
                     (C)  improve family economic self-sufficiency and
  stability; and
                     (D)  reduce the incidence of child abuse and
  neglect;
               (3)  require that nurses who provide services through
  the program:
                     (A)  receive training from the office of the
  attorney general at least once each year on procedures by which a
  person may voluntarily acknowledge the paternity of a child and on
  the availability of child support services from the office;
                     (B)  provide a mother with information about the
  rights, responsibilities, and benefits of establishing the
  paternity of her child, if appropriate;
                     (C)  provide assistance to a mother and the
  alleged father of her child if the mother and alleged father seek to
  voluntarily acknowledge paternity of the child, if appropriate; and
                     (D)  provide information to a mother about the
  availability of child support services from the office of the
  attorney general; and
               (4)  require that the regular nurse visits described by
  Subdivision (2) begin not later than a mother's 28th week of
  gestation and end when her child reaches two years of age.
         Sec. 531.454.  APPLICATION. (a)  A public or private
  entity, including a county, municipality, or other political
  subdivision of this state, may apply for a grant under this
  subchapter.
         (b)  To apply for a grant, an applicant must submit a written
  application to the commission on a form prescribed by the
  commission in consultation with the Nurse-Family Partnership
  National Service Office.
         (c)  The application prescribed by the commission must:
               (1)  require the applicant to provide data on the
  number of low-income, first-time mothers residing in the community
  in which the applicant proposes to operate or expand a partnership
  program and provide a description of existing services available to
  those mothers;
               (2)  describe the ongoing monitoring and evaluation
  process to which a grant recipient is subject under Section
  531.459, including the recipient's obligation to collect and
  provide information requested by the commission under Section
  531.459(c); and
               (3)  require the applicant to provide other relevant
  information as determined by the commission.
         Sec. 531.455.  ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS IN AWARDING
  GRANTS. In addition to the factors described by Sections
  531.452(b) and 531.453, in determining whether to award a grant to
  an applicant under this subchapter, the commission shall consider:
               (1)  the demonstrated need for a partnership program in
  the community in which the applicant proposes to operate or expand
  the program, which may be determined by considering:
                     (A)  the poverty rate, the crime rate, the number
  of births to Medicaid recipients, the rate of poor birth outcomes,
  and the incidence of child abuse and neglect during a prescribed
  period in the community; and
                     (B)  the need to enhance school readiness in the
  community;
               (2)  the applicant's ability to participate in ongoing
  monitoring and performance evaluations under Section 531.459,
  including the applicant's ability to collect and provide
  information requested by the commission under Section 531.459(c);
               (3)  the applicant's ability to adhere to the
  partnership program standards adopted under Section 531.456;
               (4)  the applicant's ability to develop broad-based
  community support for implementing or expanding a partnership
  program, as applicable; and
               (5)  the applicant's history of developing and
  sustaining innovative, high-quality programs that meet the needs of
  families and communities.
         Sec. 531.456.  PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM STANDARDS. The executive
  commissioner, with the assistance of the Nurse-Family Partnership
  National Service Office, shall adopt standards for the partnership
  programs funded under this subchapter. The standards must adhere
  to the Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office program
  model standards and guidelines that were developed in multiple,
  randomized clinical trials and have been tested and replicated in
  multiple communities.
         Sec. 531.457.  USE OF AWARDED GRANT FUNDS. The grant funds
  awarded under this subchapter may be used only to cover costs
  related to implementing or expanding and operating a partnership
  program, including costs related to:
               (1)  administering the program;
               (2)  training and managing registered nurses who
  participate in the program;
               (3)  paying the salaries and expenses of registered
  nurses who participate in the program;
               (4)  paying for facilities and equipment for the
  program; and
               (5)  paying for services provided by the Nurse-Family
  Partnership National Service Office to ensure a grant recipient
  adheres to the organization's program model.
         Sec. 531.458.  STATE NURSE CONSULTANT. Using money
  appropriated for the competitive grant program, the commission
  shall hire or contract with a state nurse consultant to assist grant
  recipients with implementing or expanding and operating the
  partnership programs in the applicable communities.
         Sec. 531.459.  PROGRAM MONITORING AND EVALUATION; ANNUAL
  COMMITTEE REPORTS. (a)  The commission, with the assistance of the
  Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office, shall:
               (1)  adopt performance indicators that are designed to
  measure a grant recipient's performance with respect to the
  partnership program standards adopted by the commission under
  Section 531.456;
               (2)  use the performance indicators to continuously
  monitor and formally evaluate on an annual basis the performance of
  each grant recipient; and
               (3)  prepare and submit an annual report, not later
  than December 1 of each year, to the Senate Health and Human
  Services Committee, or its successor, and the House Human Services
  Committee, or its successor, regarding the performance of each
  grant recipient during the preceding state fiscal year with respect
  to providing partnership program services.
         (b)  The report required under Subsection (a)(3) must
  include:
               (1)  the number of low-income, first-time mothers to
  whom each grant recipient provided partnership program services
  and, of that number, the number of mothers who established the
  paternity of an alleged father as a result of services provided
  under the program;
               (2)  the extent to which each grant recipient made
  regular visits to mothers during the period described by Section
  531.453(4); and
               (3)  the extent to which each grant recipient adhered
  to the Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office's program
  model, including the extent to which registered nurses:
                     (A)  conducted home visitations comparable in
  frequency, duration, and content to those delivered in Nurse-Family
  Partnership National Service Office clinical trials; and
                     (B)  assessed the health and well-being of mothers
  and children participating in the partnership programs in
  accordance with indicators of maternal, child, and family health
  defined by the commission in consultation with the Nurse-Family
  Partnership National Service Office.
         (c)  On request, each grant recipient shall timely collect
  and provide data and any other information required by the
  commission to monitor and evaluate the recipient or to prepare the
  report required by this section.
         Sec. 531.460.  COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING.  (a)  The
  commission shall actively seek and apply for any available federal
  funds, including federal Medicaid and Temporary Assistance for
  Needy Families (TANF) funds, to assist in financing the competitive
  grant program established under this subchapter.
         (b)  The commission may use appropriated funds from the state
  government and may accept gifts, donations, and grants of money
  from the federal government, local governments, private
  corporations, or other persons to assist in financing the
  competitive grant program.
         SECTION 2.  (a)  As required by Subsection (a), Section
  531.460, Government Code, as added by this Act, the Health and Human
  Services Commission shall, as soon as practicable, apply for any
  available federal funds to assist in financing the nurse-family
  partnership competitive grant program under Subchapter M, Chapter
  531, Government Code, as added by this Act.
         (b)  Not later than September 1, 2008, the Health and Human
  Services Commission shall establish and implement the nurse-family
  partnership competitive grant program required by Subchapter M,
  Chapter 531, Government Code, as added by this Act.
         (c)  Not later than December 1, 2008, the Health and Human
  Services Commission shall submit a report to the Senate Health and
  Human Services Committee, or its successor, and the House Human
  Services Committee, or its successor, regarding the implementation
  and status of the nurse-family partnership competitive grant
  program required by Subchapter M, Chapter 531, Government Code, as
  added by this Act.
         (d)  Not later than December 1, 2009, the Health and Human
  Services Commission shall submit the initial annual report required
  by Subdivision (3), Subsection (a), Section 531.459, Government
  Code, as added by this Act.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 156 passed the Senate on
  April 19, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0; and that
  the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 15, 2007, by the
  following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 156 passed the House, with
  amendment, on May 10, 2007, by the following vote: Yeas 138,
  Nays 0, one present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor