87R6176 EAS-F     By: Rosenthal H.B. No. 1580       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the establishment of the office of community violence   intervention and prevention within the Department of State Health   Services and a grant program for violence intervention and   prevention services.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  This Act may be cited as the Community Violence   Intervention and Prevention Act.          SECTION 2.  Subtitle B, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is   amended by adding Chapter 53 to read as follows:   CHAPTER 53. OFFICE OF COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION AND   PREVENTION   SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS          Sec. 53.001.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:                (1)  "Advisory committee" means the grant review   advisory committee established under Section 53.102.                (2)  "Office" means the office of community violence   intervention and prevention established under Section 53.051.          Sec. 53.002.  RULES. The executive commissioner shall adopt   rules as necessary to implement this chapter.          Sec. 53.003.  FUNDING. The department shall solicit and   accept gifts, grants, and donations on behalf of the office to carry   out the office's duties under this chapter.          SUBCHAPTER B. OFFICE: ESTABLISHMENT, POWERS, AND DUTIES          Sec. 53.051.  ESTABLISHMENT; PURPOSE. The commissioner   shall establish within the department the office of community   violence intervention and prevention for the purposes of:                (1)  coordinating and expanding violence intervention   and prevention activities;                (2)  reducing the incidence of interpersonal violence   and homicide;                (3)  providing leadership, coordination, and technical   assistance to promote effective state and local efforts on reducing   preventable injuries and deaths resulting from all forms of   physical violence;                (4)  collaborating with governmental entities, law   enforcement agencies, community-based organizations, business   leaders, and other appropriate individuals in this state to develop   evidence-based policies, strategies, and interventions to reduce   the impacts of violence in this state; and                (5)  awarding grants under Subchapter C.          Sec. 53.052.  POWERS AND DUTIES. (a) The office shall   develop collaborative relationships with state agencies involved   in reducing interpersonal violence, including:                (1)  child abuse;                (2)  elder abuse;                (3)  violence involving youth;                (4)  family violence;                (5)  intimate partner violence;                (6)  gun violence;                (7)  sexual assault; and                (8)  violence against an individual based on the   individual's actual or perceived:                      (A)  sexual orientation;                      (B)  gender identity; or                      (C)  gender expression.          (b)  To fulfill the purposes of this chapter, the office   shall:                (1)  integrate violence intervention and prevention   education into state-funded substance use programs;                (2)  support the development and implementation of   comprehensive, community-based violence intervention and   prevention initiatives throughout this state, including   initiatives focused on preventing the types of violence described   by Subsection (a);                (3)  develop and recommend comprehensive wraparound   and other support services, including interpersonal violence and   suicide prevention programs, that are funded by local governmental   entities; and                (4)  assist local organizations that provide violence   intervention and prevention services in seeking and applying for a   grant under Subchapter C.          (c)  The office shall develop and implement a public health   strategy for implementing the purposes described by Section 53.051,   which must include:                (1)  the use of culturally competent, community-wide   risk assessment tools;                (2)  the use of methods to identify individuals in need   of intervention or prevention services who rely heavily on public   services;                (3)  the provision of cognitive and family-based   counseling;                (4)  the coordination of available services to prevent   incidents of violence; and                (5)  as appropriate, technical assistance from   culturally competent organizations or individuals.          Sec. 53.053.  INCREASING PUBLIC AWARENESS OF VIOLENCE;   DIRECTORY OF VIOLENCE INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION SERVICES. (a)   The office shall conduct a statewide public health campaign on the   impact of violence, strategies to help stop violence from   occurring, and the use of alternative dispute resolution methods   for addressing incidents of violence.          (b)  The office shall develop and post on the department's   Internet website a directory of violence intervention and   prevention services available in each county in this state.   SUBCHAPTER C. COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION GRANT   PROGRAM          Sec. 53.101.  ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF GRANT   PROGRAM. The office shall establish and administer a community   violence intervention and prevention grant program and award grants   under the program to improve public health and safety by supporting   effective violence reduction strategies in communities throughout   this state that are disproportionately impacted by a high incidence   of violence, including:                (1)  gun violence;                (2)  group violence;                (3)  suicides;                (4)  family violence;                (5)  intimate partner violence; and                (6)  violence based on an individual's gender.          Sec. 53.102.  ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) The office shall   establish the grant review advisory committee to assist the office   in reviewing and selecting grant applications for a grant award.   The advisory committee must include:                (1)  members who have been personally impacted by   violence;                (2)  members who have been incarcerated; and                (3)  members with hands-on experience implementing   evidence-based violence reduction initiatives that incorporate a   public health, community-based, or ecological system approach.          (b)  The advisory committee shall select a presiding officer   from among the advisory committee members.          (c)  An advisory committee member serves at the pleasure of   the office.          (d)  Section 2110.008, Government Code, does not apply to the   advisory committee.          Sec. 53.103.  ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS. (a)   The office, with advice from the advisory committee, shall award   grants through a competitive process to counties and municipalities   that are disproportionately impacted by a high incidence of   violence and to community-based organizations that serve   communities disproportionately impacted by a high incidence of   violence.          (b)  To be awarded a grant under this subchapter, a county,   municipality, or community-based organization shall submit to the   office, in the form and manner prescribed by the office, a complete   application that includes a statement describing:                (1)  the community issues or concerns for which the   grant money is sought;                (2)  the applicant's goals and objectives for use of the   grant money, including the applicant's plan for implementing an   evidence-based violence reduction initiative using the grant   money; and                (3)  the applicant's plan to enhance local coordination   of existing violence intervention and prevention programs and   minimize the duplication of services.          (c)  If appropriate to address regional problems or provide a   more comprehensive solution:                (1)  a county or municipality may submit a joint   application with one or more other counties or municipalities; and                (2)  a community-based organization may submit a joint   application with one or more other community-based organizations.          Sec. 53.104.  REVIEW AND SELECTION OF GRANT APPLICANTS. (a)   The office, with assistance and advice from the advisory committee,   shall review grant applications submitted under this subchapter and   select the applicants for grant awards.          (b)  In selecting applicants to be awarded a grant, the   office shall give preference to applicants whose proposals   demonstrate:                (1)  the greatest likelihood for reducing violence in   the community served by the applicant without contributing to the   mass incarceration of individuals;                (2)  for a joint application that includes at least one   community-based organization, a partnership with one or more   entities, including another community-based organization or a   public entity;                (3)  leadership that reflects the demographics of the   community where the grant money will be used;                (4)  experience with formerly incarcerated individuals   or individuals who are otherwise involved in the criminal justice   system; and                (5)  experience with individuals who are experiencing   or have experienced interpersonal violence.          Sec. 53.105.  REQUIRED USE OF GRANT MONEY. (a) A grant   recipient shall use a grant awarded under this subchapter to   support, expand, or replicate evidence-based violence reduction   initiatives focused on interrupting cycles of violence,   victimization, and retaliation to reduce the incidence of firearm   violence, including:                (1)  hospital-based violence intervention programs;                (2)  community outreach programs; and                (3)  initiatives with focused deterrence strategies.          (b)  The office may award a grant under this subchapter only   in accordance with a contract between the office and the grant   recipient. The contract must include provisions affording the   office sufficient control to ensure the public purpose of   supporting, expanding, or replicating evidence-based violence   reduction initiatives focused on interrupting cycles of violence,   victimization, and retaliation is accomplished and this state   receives the return benefit.          (c)  Subject to Subsection (b), a county or municipal   recipient of a grant awarded under this subchapter must distribute   not less than 50 percent of the grant money in this state to one or   more of the following:                (1)  a community-based organization;                (2)  an Indian tribe or tribal organizations; or                (3)  a public entity whose primary focus is community   safety or gun violence prevention.          Sec. 53.106.  REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. Each grant recipient   shall report to the office, in a form and at intervals prescribed by   the office, the recipient's progress toward achieving the grant   objectives.          Sec. 53.107.  EFFICACY EVALUATION OF GRANT PROGRAM. The   office may contract with an independent entity with expertise in   evaluating community-based, grant-funded programs to evaluate the   effectiveness of the grant program under this subchapter, provided   that, in conducting the evaluation, the entity uses:                (1)  both qualitative and quantitative methods, as   appropriate; and                (2)  participatory action research methods or other   research methods that incorporate subject engagement, to the extent   practicable.          SECTION 3.  Not later than December 1, 2021:                (1)  the commissioner of state health services shall   establish the office of community violence intervention and   prevention within the Department of State Health Services as   required by Chapter 53, Health and Safety Code, as added by this   Act; and                (2)  the executive commissioner of the Health and Human   Services Commission shall adopt the rules necessary to implement   Chapter 53, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act.          SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.