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.