relating to the powers and duties of the Health and Human Services
Commission and the transfer to the commission of certain powers and
duties from the Department of Family and Protective Services.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 265, Family Code, is transferred to
Title 9, Human Resources Code, redesignated as Chapter 137, Human
Resources Code, and amended to read as follows:
CHAPTER 137 [265]. FAMILY SUPPORT [PREVENTION AND EARLY
INTERVENTION] SERVICES
SUBCHAPTER A. FAMILY SUPPORT [PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION]
SERVICES
Sec. 137.001 [265.001]. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) "At-risk family" means a family with at least one
child and at least one of the following:
(A)a child in the family has been the subject of
an investigation of abuse, neglect, or exploitation by the
Department of Family and Protective Services;
(B)the family is experiencing conditions that
increase the likelihood of involvement with the child welfare
system, the criminal justice system, or the juvenile justice
system; or
(C)the family is experiencing other conditions
that threaten the self-sufficiency or stability of the family
["Department" means the Department of Family and Protective
Services].
(2) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services
Commission ["Division" means the prevention and early intervention
services division within the department].
(3) "Executive commissioner" means the executive
commissioner of the commission.
(4) "Family support ["Prevention and early
intervention] services" means programs intended to provide [early]
intervention and promote safety and stability for children and
at-risk families [or prevent at-risk behaviors that lead to child
abuse, delinquency, running away, truancy, and dropping out of
school].
Sec. 137.002 [265.002]. FAMILY SUPPORT [PREVENTION AND
EARLY INTERVENTION] SERVICES [DIVISION]. (a) The commission
[department] shall:
(1) administer contracts [operate a division] to
provide family support services to [for] children and [in] at-risk
[situations and for the] families;
(2) [of those children and to achieve the
consolidation of prevention and early intervention services within
the jurisdiction of a single agency in order to avoid fragmentation
and duplication of services and to increase the accountability for
the delivery and administration of these services. The division
shall be called the prevention and early intervention services
division and shall have the following duties:
[(1) to] plan, develop, and administer an integrated
continuum of care system of programs providing family support
services to at-risk families [a comprehensive and unified delivery
system of prevention and early intervention services to children
and their families in at-risk situations];
(3)administer the referral, coordination, and
collaboration of family support services under this chapter with
similar, existing programs the commission operates;
(4) [(2) to] improve the responsiveness of family
support services provided to [for at-risk] children and at-risk
[their] families by facilitating greater coordination and
flexibility in the use of funds by state and local service
providers;
(5) [(3) to] provide greater accountability for
family support [prevention and early intervention] services in
order to demonstrate the impact or public benefit of a program by
adopting outcome measures; and
(6) [(4) to] assist local communities in the
coordination and development of family support [prevention and
early intervention] services in order to maximize federal, state,
and local resources.
(b) Family support services under this chapter are intended
Statutes affected: Introduced: Family Code 261.002, Human Resources Code 40.0025, Local Government Code 118.022 (Family Code 261, Local Government Code 118, Human Resources Code 40)