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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the qualifications to conduct a social study in certain |
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suits affecting the parent-child relationship. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 107.0511, Family Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsections (g), (h), and (i) to read as follows: |
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(g) The minimum qualifications prescribed by this section |
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do not apply to an individual who, before September 1, 2007: |
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(1) lived in a county that has a population of 500,000 |
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or more and is adjacent to two or more counties each of which has a |
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population of 50,000 or more; |
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(2) received a four-year degree from an accredited |
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institution of higher education; |
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(3) worked as a child protective services investigator |
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for the Department of Family and Protective Services for at least |
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four years; |
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(4) worked as a community supervision and corrections |
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department officer; and |
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(5) conducted at least 100 social studies in the |
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previous five years. |
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(h) A person described by Subsection (g) who performs a |
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social study must: |
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(1) complete at least eight hours of family violence |
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dynamics training provided by a family violence service provider; |
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and |
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(2) participate annually in at least 15 hours of |
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continuing education for child custody evaluators that meets the |
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Model Standards of Practice for Child Custody Evaluation adopted |
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by the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts as those |
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standards existed May 1, 2009, or a later version of those standards |
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if adopted by rule of the executive commissioner of the Health and |
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Human Services Commission. |
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(i) Subsections (g) and (h) and this subsection expire |
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September 1, 2017. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |