Bill Text: TX SB951 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the family first prevention services task force.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-01 - Referred to Health & Human Services [SB951 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-SB951-Introduced.html
| 86R9039 SCL-D | ||
| By: Watson | S.B. No. 951 | |
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| relating to the establishment of the family first prevention | ||
| services task force. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. (a) In this section, "task force" means the | ||
| family first prevention services task force established under this | ||
| section. | ||
| (b) The family first prevention services task force is | ||
| established for the purpose of assessing the readiness of this | ||
| state in implementing Title VII, Div. E, Pub. L. No. 115-123 by | ||
| 2021. | ||
| (c) The task force is composed of at least 19 members | ||
| appointed by the commissioner of the Department of Family and | ||
| Protective Services as follows: | ||
| (1) the commissioner of family and protective | ||
| services; | ||
| (2) the assistant commissioner of child protective | ||
| services; | ||
| (3) the assistant commissioner of prevention and early | ||
| intervention services; | ||
| (4) the medical director of the department; | ||
| (5) a representative from a single source continuum | ||
| contractor; | ||
| (6) a representative of a child-placing agency in this | ||
| state with experience in managing a residential treatment center; | ||
| (7) a representative of court-appointed volunteer | ||
| advocates; | ||
| (8) a judge of a court that hears suits affecting the | ||
| parent-child relationship; | ||
| (9) an attorney ad litem with experience in | ||
| court-ordered representation of children and youth in the | ||
| conservatorship of the department; | ||
| (10) an advocate for foster children and youth who is | ||
| not employed by or under contract with the department; | ||
| (11) a representative of the legislature; | ||
| (12) a representative of the Legislative Budget Board; | ||
| (13) a representative of the office of the comptroller | ||
| of public accounts; | ||
| (14) three advocates who are not employed by or under | ||
| contract with the department and who advocate for providing | ||
| services to families at risk of entering the foster care system, | ||
| including an advocate for the substance abuse treatment community, | ||
| an advocate for the mental health treatment community, and an | ||
| advocate with experience in providing services to pregnant and | ||
| parenting youth; | ||
| (15) an advocate with experience as a foster child; | ||
| (16) an advocate with experience as a parent in the | ||
| foster care system; | ||
| (17) an advocate with experience as a kinship | ||
| caregiver; and | ||
| (18) any other member of the department's executive | ||
| staff the commissioner considers necessary. | ||
| (d) The commissioner of family and protective services | ||
| serves as the presiding officer of the task force. | ||
| (e) A vacancy for an appointed member of the task force is | ||
| filled in the same manner as the original appointment. | ||
| (f) The task force shall meet at least quarterly at the call | ||
| of the presiding officer. The task force shall meet at other times | ||
| as determined by the presiding officer. | ||
| (g) The task force shall: | ||
| (1) evaluate and make recommendations on matters | ||
| related to the task force's purpose as described by Subsection (b) | ||
| of this section, including: | ||
| (A) the transformation of the placement of foster | ||
| children and youth from residential treatment centers to qualified | ||
| residential treatment providers and the process for certifying an | ||
| unaccredited residential treatment center; | ||
| (B) the total capacity of all foster care | ||
| placements in this state; | ||
| (C) the foster care prevention and early | ||
| intervention strategies currently available in this state; | ||
| (D) any issue that may arise in a suit affecting | ||
| the parent-child relationship for a child or youth in the | ||
| conservatorship of the department; | ||
| (E) any issue relating to families entering the | ||
| child protective services system; and | ||
| (F) methods for using federal and state money to | ||
| allow a greater number of children and youth to remain in their | ||
| homes while addressing safety concerns for the children and youth; | ||
| and | ||
| (2) examine the costs to this state and the private | ||
| sector and other issues related to the use of federal money | ||
| allocated or transferred under Title VII, Div. E, Pub. L. No. | ||
| 115-123. | ||
| (h) The Department of Family and Protective Services shall | ||
| provide reasonably necessary administrative and technical support | ||
| to the task force. | ||
| (i) The task force shall prepare a written report that | ||
| includes: | ||
| (1) a description of the activities of the task force; | ||
| (2) the findings and recommendations of the task | ||
| force; and | ||
| (3) proposed legislation, recommendations, or | ||
| information on any other relevant matter that the task force | ||
| considers appropriate. | ||
| (j) Not later than January 1, 2021, the task force shall | ||
| submit the report described by Subsection (i) of this section to the | ||
| governor, the lieutenant governor, and each member of the | ||
| legislature. | ||
| (k) The task force is abolished and this section expires | ||
| June 1, 2021. | ||
| SECTION 2. 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, 2019. | ||
