84R19290 YDB-F
 
  By: Thompson of Harris H.B. No. 2630
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to certain programs provided to families of children at
  risk for abuse and neglect.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 264.201(d), Family Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (d)  The services may include in-home programs, parenting
  skills training, youth coping skills, and individual and family
  counseling.  If the department requires or a court orders parenting
  skills training services through a parenting education program, the
  program must be an evidence-based or promising practice parenting
  education program described by Section 265.051 that is provided in
  the community in which the family resides, if available.
         SECTION 2.  Chapter 265, Family Code, is amended by
  designating Sections 265.001, 265.002, 265.003, and 265.004 as
  Subchapter A and adding a subchapter heading to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER A.  GENERAL PROVISIONS
         SECTION 3.  Section 265.004, Family Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (a-1) and (a-2) to
  read as follows:
         (a)  To the extent that money is appropriated for the
  purpose, the department shall fund evidence-based programs,
  including parenting education, home visitation, family support
  services, mentoring, positive youth development programs, and
  crisis counseling, offered by community-based organizations that
  are designed to prevent or ameliorate child abuse and neglect.  The
  [evidence-based] programs funded under this subsection may be
  offered by a child welfare board established under Section 264.005,
  a local governmental board granted the powers and duties of a child
  welfare board under state law, [or] a children's advocacy center
  established under Section 264.402, or other persons determined
  appropriate by the department.
         (a-1)  The department shall ensure that not less than 75
  percent of the money appropriated for parenting education programs
  under Subsection (a) funds evidence-based programs described by
  Section 265.051(b) and that the remainder of that money funds
  promising practice programs described by Section 265.051(c).
         (a-2)  The department shall actively seek and apply for any
  available federal funds to support parenting education programs
  provided under this section.
         SECTION 4.  Chapter 265, Family Code, is amended by adding
  Subchapter B to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER B.  PARENTING EDUCATION
         Sec. 265.051.  PARENTING EDUCATION PROGRAMS. (a) A
  parenting education program provided by the department or ordered
  by a court under Chapter 264 or this chapter must be an
  evidence-based program or a promising practice program described by
  this section.
         (b)  An evidence-based program is a parenting education
  program that:
               (1)  is research-based and grounded in relevant,
  empirical knowledge and program-determined outcomes;
               (2)  has comprehensive standards ensuring the highest
  quality service delivery with continuous improvement in the quality
  of service delivery;
               (3)  has demonstrated significant positive short-term
  and long-term outcomes; 
               (4)  has been evaluated by at least one rigorous,
  random, controlled research trial across heterogeneous populations
  or communities with research results that have been published in a
  peer-reviewed journal;
               (5)  substantially complies with a program manual or
  design that specifies the purpose, outcomes, duration, and
  frequency of the program services; and
               (6)  employs well-trained and competent staff and
  provides continual relevant professional development opportunities
  to the staff.
         (c)  A promising practice program is a parenting education
  program that:
               (1)  has an active impact evaluation program or
  demonstrates a schedule for implementing an active impact
  evaluation program;
               (2)  has been evaluated by at least one outcome-based
  study demonstrating effectiveness or random, controlled trial in a
  homogeneous sample;
               (3)  substantially complies with a program manual or
  design that specifies the purpose, outcomes, duration, and
  frequency of the program services;
               (4)  employs well-trained and competent staff and
  provides continual relevant professional development opportunities
  to the staff; and
               (5)  is research-based and grounded in relevant,
  empirical knowledge and program-determined outcomes.
         Sec. 265.052.  OUTCOMES OF EVIDENCE-BASED PARENTING
  EDUCATION. The department shall ensure that a parenting education
  program provided under Chapter 264 or this chapter achieves
  favorable behavioral outcomes in at least two of the following
  areas:
               (1)  improved cognitive development of children;
               (2)  increased school readiness of children;
               (3)  reduced child abuse, neglect, and injury;
               (4)  improved child safety;
               (5)  improved social-emotional development of
  children;
               (6)  improved parenting skills, including nurturing
  and bonding;
               (7)  improved family economic self-sufficiency;
               (8)  reduced parental involvement with the criminal
  justice system; and
               (9)  increased paternal involvement and support.
         Sec. 265.053.  EVALUATION OF EVIDENCE-BASED PARENTING
  EDUCATION. (a) The department shall adopt outcome indicators to
  measure the effectiveness of parenting education programs provided
  under Chapter 264 or this chapter in achieving desired outcomes.
         (b)  The department may work directly with the model
  developer of a parenting education program to identify appropriate
  outcome indicators for the program and to ensure that the program
  substantially complies with the model.
         (c)  The department shall develop internal processes to
  share information with parenting education programs to assist the
  department in analyzing the performance of the programs.
         (d)  The department shall use information obtained under
  this section to:
               (1)  monitor parenting education programs;
               (2)  continually improve the quality of the programs;
  and
               (3)  evaluate the effectiveness of the programs.
         Sec. 265.0535.  INITIAL REPORT. (a) Not later than December
  1, 2016, the department shall prepare and submit a report on
  state-funded parenting education programs to the standing
  committees of the senate and house of representatives with
  jurisdiction over child protective services.
         (b)  The report submitted under this section must include:
               (1)  the status and a description of the parenting
  education programs implemented and a description of the models
  associated with the programs; and
               (2)  information on the number of families served by
  the programs, including their demographic information.
         (c)  This section expires January 1, 2017.
         Sec. 265.054.  REPORTS TO LEGISLATURE. (a) Not later than
  December 1 of each even-numbered year, the department shall prepare
  and submit a report on state-funded parenting education programs to
  the standing committees of the senate and house of representatives
  with jurisdiction over child protective services.
         (b)  A report submitted under this section must include:
               (1)  a description of the parenting education programs
  implemented and of the models associated with the programs;
               (2)  information on the families served by the
  programs, including the number of families served and their
  demographic information;
               (3)  the goals and achieved outcomes of the programs;
               (4)  information on the cost for each family served,
  including any available third-party return-on-investment analysis;
  and
               (5)  information explaining the percentage of money
  spent on evidence-based programs and on promising practice
  programs.
         Sec. 265.055.  RULES. The executive commissioner of the
  Health and Human Services Commission may adopt rules as necessary
  to implement this subchapter.
         SECTION 5.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  a program provided under Chapter 265, Family Code, on or after the
  effective date of this Act.
         SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.