HB230 - 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.

  89R473 MCF-F     By: Rosenthal H.B. No. 230       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 56 to read as follows:   CHAPTER 56. OFFICE OF COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION AND   PREVENTION   SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS           Sec. 56.001.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:                 (1)     "Advisory committee" means the grant review   advisory committee established under Section 56.102.                 (2)     "Office" means the office of community violence   intervention and prevention established under Section 56.051.           Sec.   56.002.     RULES. The executive commissioner shall adopt   rules as necessary to implement this chapter.           Sec.   56.003.     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.   56.051.     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.   56.052.     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, to be 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 56.051.     The strategy must require:                 (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.   56.053.     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 prevent the occurrence of   violence, 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.   56.101.     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 throughout this state in   communities 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.   56.102.     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   under this subchapter. 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.   56.103.     ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS. (a)   The office, with advice from the advisory committee, shall award   grants through a competitive process to counties and municipalities   disproportionately impacted by a high incidence of violence and to   community-based organizations serving 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 the office prescribes, a complete   application that includes a statement describing:                 (1)     the community issues or concerns the grant money   will address;                 (2)     the applicant's goals and objectives for use of the   grant money, which must include the applicant's plan for   implementing an evidence-based violence reduction initiative; 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.   56.104.     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 applicants for grant awards.           (b)     In selecting applicants for grant awards, 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 served by the applicant;                 (4)     experience with formerly incarcerated individuals   or individuals who are otherwise involved in the criminal justice   system; and             &#xA [Text truncated for display. 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