BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 753

By: Raymond

Human Services

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Because of recent reforms, the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) has the ability to hire staff quickly and has used additional resources to enhance training procedures. Interested parties assert that DFPS should now focus on hiring employees who will be most successful in a position. C.S.H.B. 753 seeks to address this issue by directing DFPS to use special assessment tools in screening applicants for employment with the child protective services division and to study the salaries of each type of caseworker to determine the role salary plays in recruitment, retention, and turnover.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 753 amends the Human Resources Code to require the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to use special assessment tools in screening applicants for employment with the child protective services division in order to match an applicant with the position in the division for which an applicant would be best suited based on the applicant's skills, personality traits, and experience.  The bill requires DFPS to give favorable consideration to an applicant for an entry-level caseworker position who has a master's degree or bachelor's degree in social work over other applicants who have comparable skills.

C.S.H.B. 753 adds a temporary provision, set to expire September 1, 2013, to require DFPS to study the salaries of each type of child protective services caseworker to determine the role salary plays in the recruitment and retention of caseworkers and in the turnover rate for each type of caseworker.  The bill requires DFPS, not later than December 1, 2012, to report the results of the study and any recommendations to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and standing committee of each house of the legislature with jurisdiction over DFPS. The bill requires the Health and Human Services Commission to consider contracting with an institution of higher education to perform the required study.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2011.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 753 contains a provision not included in the original requiring the Department of Family and Protective Services to give favorable consideration to an applicant for an entry-level caseworker position who has a master's degree or bachelor's degree in social work over other applicants who have comparable skills.  The substitute differs from the original in nonsubstantive ways.