By:  Zaffirini                                         S.B. No. 116

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to investigations of and the offense of failure to report

 1-2     alleged abuse, neglect, or exploitation of individuals in certain

 1-3     facilities.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 261.401, Family Code, is amended to read

 1-6     as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 261.401.  AGENCY INVESTIGATION.  (a)  A state agency

 1-8     that operates, licenses, certifies, or registers a facility in

 1-9     which children are located shall make a prompt, thorough

1-10     investigation of a report that a child has been or may be abused,

1-11     exploited, or neglected in the facility.  The primary purpose of

1-12     the investigation shall be the protection of the child.

1-13           (b)  A state agency shall adopt rules relating to the

1-14     investigation and resolution of reports received as provided by

1-15     this subchapter.

1-16           (c)  The definitions of abuse and neglect under Section

1-17     261.001 do not apply to an investigation under this section.  A

1-18     state agency shall adopt rules that define abuse and neglect and

1-19     that provide a child located in a facility operated, licensed,

1-20     certified, or registered by the state agency at least as great a

1-21     level of protection from abuse, neglect, or exploitation as

1-22     provided by Section 261.001.

1-23           (d)  The Health and Human Services Commission shall review

 2-1     and approve the rules to ensure that all agencies implement

 2-2     appropriate standards for the conduct of investigations and that

 2-3     uniformity exists among agencies in the investigation and

 2-4     resolution of reports.

 2-5           SECTION 2.  Subsections (b), (d), and (e), Section 261.402,

 2-6     Family Code, are amended to read as follows:

 2-7           (b)  A state agency shall immediately notify the appropriate

 2-8     state or local law enforcement agency of any report the agency

 2-9     receives, other than a report from a law enforcement agency, that

2-10     concerns the suspected abuse, exploitation, or neglect of a child

2-11     or the death of a child from abuse or neglect.  If the state agency

2-12     finds evidence indicating that a child may have been abused,

2-13     exploited, or neglected, the agency shall report the evidence to

2-14     the appropriate law enforcement agency.

2-15           (d)  A state agency that licenses, certifies, or registers a

2-16     facility in which children are located shall compile, maintain, and

2-17     make available statistics on the incidence of child abuse,

2-18     exploitation, and neglect in the facility.

2-19           (e)  A state agency shall compile, maintain, and make

2-20     available statistics on the incidence of child abuse, exploitation,

2-21     and neglect in a facility operated by the state agency.

2-22           SECTION 3.  Subsection (b), Section 261.403, Family Code, is

2-23     amended to read as follows:

2-24           (b)  The board of a state agency that operates a facility in

2-25     which children are located shall ensure that the procedure for

 3-1     investigating abuse, exploitation, and neglect allegations and

 3-2     inquiries in the agency's facility is periodically reviewed under

 3-3     the agency's internal audit program required by Chapter 2102,

 3-4     Government Code.

 3-5           SECTION 4.  Section 261.404, Family Code, is amended to read

 3-6     as follows:

 3-7           Sec. 261.404.  INVESTIGATIONS IN FACILITIES UNDER DEPARTMENT

 3-8     OF MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL RETARDATION.  (a)  The department shall

 3-9     investigate a report of abuse, exploitation, or neglect in a

3-10     facility operated by, regulated by, or providing services under a

3-11     contract with the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental

3-12     Retardation under rules developed jointly between the department

3-13     and the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation.

3-14           (b)  The definitions of abuse and neglect under Section

3-15     261.001 do not apply to an investigation under this section or

3-16     Chapter 48, Human Resources Code.  The Board of Protective and

3-17     Regulatory Services shall adopt rules that define abuse and neglect

3-18     and that provide a child located in a facility operated or

3-19     regulated by, or providing services under a contract with, the

3-20     Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation at least

3-21     as great a level of protection from abuse, neglect, or exploitation

3-22     as provided by Section 261.001.

3-23           SECTION 5.  Subsection (a), Section 48.036, Human Resources

3-24     Code, is amended to read as follows:

3-25           (a)  Except as prescribed by Section 48.082, a person having

 4-1     reasonable cause to believe that an elderly or disabled person is

 4-2     in the state of abuse, exploitation, or neglect shall immediately

 4-3     report the information to the department.

 4-4           SECTION 6.  Subsection (a), Section 48.082, Human Resources

 4-5     Code, is amended to read as follows:

 4-6           (a)  If a person has reasonable cause to believe that an

 4-7     elderly or disabled person has been abused, exploited, or neglected

 4-8     in a facility operated, licensed, certified, or registered by a

 4-9     state agency other than the Texas Department of Mental Health and

4-10     Mental Retardation, the person shall immediately report the

4-11     information to the state agency that operates, licenses, certifies,

4-12     or registers the facility for investigation by that agency.

4-13           SECTION 7.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

4-14           (b)  A state agency required to adopt rules under this Act

4-15     shall adopt rules not later than December 31, 1997.

4-16     Notwithstanding the change in law made by this Act, the definitions

4-17     of abuse and neglect under Section 261.001, Family Code, apply to

4-18     an investigation until the date the state agency adopts rules under

4-19     this Act.

4-20           (c)  The change in law made by this Act applies only to an

4-21     investigation of an allegation of abuse, neglect, or exploitation

4-22     that is initiated on or after January 1, 1998.  An investigation

4-23     initiated before that date is governed by the law in effect on the

4-24     date the investigation was initiated, and the former law is

4-25     continued in effect for that purpose.

 5-1           (d)  The change in law made to Subsection (a), Section

 5-2     48.036, and Subsection (a), Section 48.082, Human Resources Code,

 5-3     by Sections 5 and 6 of this Act applies only to conduct

 5-4     constituting an offense that occurs on or after the effective date

 5-5     of this Act.  For purposes of this section, conduct that

 5-6     constitutes an offense occurs before the effective date of this Act

 5-7     if any element of the offense occurs before the effective date.

 5-8           (e)  Conduct constituting an offense that occurs before the

 5-9     effective date of this Act is covered by the law in effect when the

5-10     conduct occurred, and the former law is continued in effect for

5-11     that purpose.

5-12           SECTION 8.  The importance of this legislation and the

5-13     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

5-14     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

5-15     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

5-16     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.