SRC-CTC C.S.S.B. 962 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center
C.S.S.B. 962 
2001S0918/1By: Moncrief
Health & Human Services
4/19/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the turnover rate for child protective services (CPS)
caseworkers in Dallas and Tarrant counties is 43 and 25 percent,
respectively.  Current caps on full-time employees prevents the training
academy from enrolling enough trainees to fill vacant positions since
trainees count toward the full-time employee cap, even though the trainees
do not actively work on cases.  C.S.S.B. 962 creates a pilot program in a
region of the state with the highest percentage of unfilled caseworker
positions and highest caseworker turnover rate to temporarily increase the
enrollment of CPS trainees to twice the current limit to address the
shortage of CPS workers.   

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  DEFINITIONS.  Defines "caseworker," "department," "pilot
project," "target region," and "target training academy." 

SECTION 2.  PILOT PROJECT.  Establishes a pilot project to aid a target
region having the highest percentage of authorized caseworker positions
unfilled and the highest caseworker turnover rate in meeting its needs for
caseworkers. 

SECTION 3.  DEPARTMENT DUTIES.  Requires the Department of Protective and
Regulatory Services (department), for the duration of the pilot project, to
perform certain tasks. 

SECTION 4.  DURATION OF PILOT PROGRAM.  Authorizes the department to
terminate the pilot project if the department determines that the number of
caseworkers serving the public in the target region equals or exceeds the
number of authorized caseworker positions as that number existed
immediately before the effective date of this Act. 

SECTION 5.  REPORT.  Requires the department to submit a report to the
legislature regarding the impact of the pilot program on the retention of
caseworkers. 

SECTION 6.  Effective date: September 1, 2001.

SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE CHANGES

SECTION 1.  Amends As Filed S.B. 962 by redefining "caseworker" and "target
region." 

SECTION 2.  Amends As Filed S.B. 962 to establish a pilot project to aid a
target region having the highest percentage of authorized caseworker
positions unfilled and the highest caseworker turnover rate in meeting its
needs for caseworkers. 

SECTION 3.  Amends As Filed S.B. 962 to reduce the amount of increase of
the number of trainee  positions in a target training academy from 300 to
200 percent of the number of trainee positions immediately before the
effective date of this Act.  Requires the Department of Protective and
Regulatory Services (department) to increase the number of trainers and
other necessary training academy positions in a target training academy to
a total necessary to accomplish the purposes of Subdivision (2) of this
section.  Makes a conforming change. 

SECTION 4.  No change.

SECTION 5.  Amends As Filed S.B. 962 to require the department to submit a
report to the legislature regarding the impact of the pilot program on the
retention of caseworkers. 

SECTION 6.  Amends As Filed S.B. 962 by redesignating SECTION 5 as SECTION
6.