As can be seen in a post we did late last month on domestic violence shelters in Dallas, there are concerns that there may not be sufficient services available for domestic abuse victims in the Dallas area. Such concerns though are not just limited to the Dallas area. Throughout Texas, worries have arisen that the current level of domestic abuse services available in the state may not be sufficient to meet the need for such services.
A bill that is being considered in Texas seeks to bolster such services by speeding up the process of funding such services. How does the bill propose to speed up this process? It proposes doing so by making some changes to the process that the bill’s proponents say will help cut down on the amount of red tape associated with the process.
One of the changes the bill would make regards a rule that was placed on this funding process in 2013. Under this rule, the state’s Family Violence Program is required to have its contracts with domestic violence shelters and programs (which provide funding to such shelters and programs) vetted through the Health and Human Services Commission.
The bill proposes eliminating this rule, taking these sorts of contracts out of the standard competitive bidding process and instead having the managing of these contracts rest with the Family Violence Program.
Proponents of the bill argue that the 2013 rule puts unneeded red tape on the process of providing funding to domestic violence programs and shelters, that this unnecessarily delays such funding, and that these funding delays could impair the ability of programs and shelters to provide vital services to domestic abuse victims. They further argue that the changes the bill proposes could help eliminate such unnecessary delays.
What do you think of this bill? How much do you think cutting down on red tape would help with getting funding to domestic violence shelters and programs in Texas? If the bill passes, do you think it will lead to a bolstering of services to domestic violence victims? Do you think the bill should be passed? What do you think are some of the biggest challenges present when it comes to getting proper funding for domestic violence services? What do you think are the best ways to address such challenges?
Source: The Texas Tribune, “Rules Hurt Family Violence Programs, Nelson Says,” Eva Hershaw, April 1, 2015