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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to employee caseload and call processing standards for the |
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provision of child and adult protective services. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 531.048, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (d-1) to read as follows: |
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(d-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (d), the Department of |
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Family and Protective Services shall ensure that the average |
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caseload for the following categories of department caseworkers |
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does not exceed the number specified by this subsection: |
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(1) for investigative caseworkers, an average of 21 |
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cases at any time; |
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(2) for caseworkers in the child protective services |
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division providing family-based safety services, an average of 18 |
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cases at any time; |
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(3) for adult protective services specialists in the |
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adult protective services division providing services through |
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in-home programs, an average of 27 cases at any time, |
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notwithstanding Subsection (g); and |
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SECTION 2. Section 40.0528(a), Human Resources Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) Subject to Section 531.048, Government Code, the [The] |
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department shall develop and implement a staffing and workload |
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distribution plan for the child protective services program to: |
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(1) reduce caseloads; |
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(2) enhance accountability; |
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(3) improve the quality of investigations; |
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(4) eliminate delays; and |
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(5) ensure the most efficient and effective use of |
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child protective services staff and resources. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter C, Chapter 40, Human Resources Code, |
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is amended by adding Section 40.0529 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 40.0529. ABUSE, NEGLECT, AND EXPLOITATION HOTLINE: |
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CALL PROCESSING STANDARDS. (a) With respect to the hotline |
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maintained by the department for purposes of receiving reports |
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under Section 261.103, Family Code, and Section 48.051, the |
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department shall ensure that: |
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(1) the average hold time for calls to the hotline does |
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not exceed eight minutes; and |
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(2) the call abandonment rate for each state fiscal |
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year does not exceed 25 percent. |
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(b) The executive commissioner by rule shall adopt the |
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methodology to be used to calculate the call abandonment rate |
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referred to in Subsection (a)(2). |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |