76R11586 KLA-D                           
         By Luna                                               H.B. No. 3778
         Substitute the following for H.B. No. 3778:
         By Naishtat                                       C.S.H.B. No. 3778
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to coordination by the Department of Protective and
 1-3     Regulatory Services of investigation of reports of child abuse or
 1-4     neglect.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 261, Family Code, is
 1-7     amended by adding Section 261.3125 to read as follows:
 1-8           Sec. 261.3125.  INVESTIGATIONS COORDINATOR.  (a)  The
 1-9     department shall employ in each region of the department for child
1-10     protective services at least one child protective services
1-11     investigations coordinator.  The job responsibilities of the
1-12     investigations coordinator must focus only on child abuse and
1-13     neglect investigation issues and on assessing and improving the
1-14     effectiveness of the department in providing for the protection of
1-15     children in the region.
1-16           (b)  The duties of a child protective services investigations
1-17     coordinator must include the duty to:
1-18                 (1)  conduct staff reviews and evaluations of cases
1-19     determined to involve a high risk to the health or safety of a
1-20     child;
1-21                 (2)  monitor cases in which there have been multiple
1-22     referrals to the department of child abuse or neglect involving the
1-23     same family, child, or person alleged to have committed the abuse
1-24     or neglect; and
 2-1                 (3)  approve decisions and assessments related to
 2-2     investigations of cases of child abuse or neglect that involve a
 2-3     high risk to the health or safety of a child.
 2-4           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
 2-5           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-6     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-7     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-8     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-9     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.