By Brady H.B. No. 2566
74R7705 MJW-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to operations of the Department of Protective and
1-3 Regulatory Services.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 13, Article 4413(503), Revised Statutes,
1-6 is amended by adding Subsections (f) and (g) to read as follows:
1-7 (f) The department shall designate a communications officer
1-8 to be the department employee with primary responsibility for
1-9 communicating with the public regarding the department's powers and
1-10 duties. The individual designated under this subsection shall:
1-11 (1) oversee the department's communications with
1-12 persons seeking to report abuse or neglect or inquiring about the
1-13 status of a case;
1-14 (2) encourage monitoring of cases under investigation
1-15 by the department; and
1-16 (3) oversee the department's response to questions
1-17 from the public within the department's confidentiality guidelines.
1-18 (g) The department shall develop and implement a
1-19 communication plan in each county to ensure public and government
1-20 awareness of abuse investigated by the department. In implementing
1-21 the plan, the department shall establish a process for expediting
1-22 the reporting of abuse to the department. The department shall
1-23 adopt rules to implement this subsection.
1-24 SECTION 2. Article 4413(503), Revised Statutes, is amended
2-1 by adding Sections 16 through 18 to read as follows:
2-2 Sec. 16. INCENTIVE PLAN FOR CASEWORKERS AND INVESTIGATORS.
2-3 To encourage dedicated and talented caseworkers and investigators
2-4 to continue their employment with the department, the department
2-5 shall seek and provide additional funding for salaries for those
2-6 positions, with the goal of increasing the average length of
2-7 employment for caseworkers and investigators to five years by the
2-8 year 2002.
2-9 Sec. 17. EMERGENCY SERVICES FUND. (a) The department shall
2-10 establish a fund for use by caseworkers in providing emergency
2-11 services and necessary items to a child or family served by the
2-12 department. The department shall develop procedures that ensure
2-13 that caseworkers can easily gain access to the fund in an
2-14 emergency.
2-15 (b) The department by rule may provide for a procedure
2-16 through which an adult recipient of services or necessary items
2-17 purchased with money from the fund may agree to undertake certain
2-18 activities, such as attending counseling, as repayment for the
2-19 expenditure from the fund.
2-20 Sec. 18. COMPREHENSIVE MANAGEMENT AUDIT. (a) Not later
2-21 than January 1, 1996, the department shall contract with an
2-22 independent auditor for the performance of a comprehensive
2-23 management audit of the department. Results of the audit shall be
2-24 submitted to the Health and Human Services Commission, the
2-25 governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of
2-26 representatives not later than January 1, 1997.
2-27 (b) This section expires January 2, 1997.
3-1 SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 34, Family Code, is amended
3-2 by adding Section 34.09 to read as follows:
3-3 Sec. 34.09. REPORT OF DEATHS RESULTING FROM CHILD ABUSE.
3-4 The department shall document the number of deaths resulting from
3-5 child abuse in cases reported to the department and shall submit
3-6 the information in a report to the legislature not later than
3-7 January 1 of each odd-numbered year.
3-8 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
3-9 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
3-10 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-11 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-12 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-13 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.