83R27372 MCK-D
 
  By: Zaffirini, et al. S.B. No. 44
 
  (Burkett)
 
  Substitute the following for S.B. No. 44:  No.
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to maintaining and reporting certain information
  regarding certain child abuse or neglect cases and the provision of
  mental health services for children in those cases.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 261.001, Family Code, is amended by
  adding Subdivision (9) to read as follows:
               (9)  "Severe emotional disturbance" means a mental,
  behavioral, or emotional disorder of sufficient duration to result
  in functional impairment that substantially interferes with or
  limits a person's role or ability to function in family, school, or
  community activities.
         SECTION 2.  Subsection (b), Section 261.004, Family Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (b)  The department shall report the following information:
               (1)  the number of initial phone calls received by the
  department alleging abuse and neglect;
               (2)  the number of children reported to the department
  as having been abused and neglected;
               (3)  the number of reports received by the department
  alleging abuse or neglect and assigned by the department for
  investigation;
               (4)  of the children to whom Subdivision (2) applies:
                     (A)  the number for whom the report was
  substantiated;
                     (B)  the number for whom the report was
  unsubstantiated;
                     (C)  the number for whom the report was determined
  to be false;
                     (D)  the number who did not receive services from
  the department under a state or federal program;
                     (E)  the number who received services, including
  preventative services, from the department under a state or federal
  program; and
                     (F)  the number who were removed from the child's
  home during the preceding year;
               (5)  the number of families in which the child was not
  removed, but the child or family received services from the
  department;
               (6)  the number of children who died during the
  preceding year as a result of child abuse or neglect;
               (7)  of the children to whom Subdivision (6) applies,
  the number who were in foster care at the time of death;
               (8)  the number of child protective services workers
  responsible for report intake, assessment, or investigation;
               (9)  the response time by the department with respect
  to conducting an initial investigation of a report of child abuse or
  neglect;
               (10)  the response time by the department with respect
  to commencing services to families and children for whom an
  allegation of abuse or neglect has been made;
               (11)  the number of children who were returned to their
  families or who received family preservation services and who,
  before the fifth anniversary of the date of return or receipt, were
  the victims of substantiated reports of child abuse or neglect,
  including abuse or neglect resulting in the death of the child;
               (12)  the number of cases pursued by the department in
  each stage of the judicial process, including civil and criminal
  proceedings and the results of each proceeding; [and]
               (13)  the number of children for whom a person was
  appointed by the court to represent the best interests of the child
  and the average number of out-of-court contacts between the person
  and the child; and
               (14)  the number of children who suffer from a severe
  emotional disturbance and for whom the department is appointed
  managing conservator because a person voluntarily relinquished
  custody of the child solely to obtain mental health services for the
  child.
         SECTION 3.  Chapter 262, Family Code, is amended by adding
  Subchapter E to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER E.  RELINQUISHING CHILD TO OBTAIN CERTAIN SERVICES
         Sec. 262.351.  DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
               (1)  "Department" means the Department of Family and
  Protective Services.
               (2)  "Severe emotional disturbance" has the meaning
  assigned by Section 261.001.
         Sec. 262.352.  JOINT MANAGING CONSERVATORSHIP OF CHILD.
  Before a person relinquishes custody of a child who suffers from a
  severe emotional disturbance in order to obtain mental health
  services for the child, the department must, if it is in the best
  interest of the child, discuss with the person relinquishing
  custody of the child the option of seeking a court order for joint
  managing conservatorship of the child with the department.
         Sec. 262.353.  STUDY TO DEVELOP ALTERNATIVES TO
  RELINQUISHMENT OF CUSTODY TO OBTAIN MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
  (a)  The department and the Department of State Health Services
  shall jointly study and develop recommendations to prevent the
  practice of parents relinquishing custody of children with a severe
  emotional disturbance and placement of children in the
  conservatorship of the department solely to obtain mental health
  services for the child.
         (b)  As part of the study under Subsection (a), the
  department and the Department of State Health Services shall
  consider the advantages of providing mental health services using
  temporary residential treatment and intensive community-based
  services options, including:
               (1)  joint managing conservatorship of the child by the
  department and the child's parent;
               (2)  the Youth Empowerment Services waiver program;
               (3)  systems of care services;
               (4)  emergency respite services; and
               (5)  diversion residential treatment center services.
         (c)  The executive commissioner of the Health and Human
  Services Commission shall review the recommendations developed
  under Subsection (a) and may direct the implementation of any
  recommendation that can be implemented with the department's
  current resources.
         (d)  Not later than September 30, 2014, the department and
  the Department of State Health Services shall file a report with the
  legislature and the Council on Children and Families on the results
  of the study required by Subsection (a). The report must include:
               (1)  each option to prevent relinquishment of parental
  custody that was considered during the study;
               (2)  each option recommended for implementation, if
  any;
               (3)  each option that is implemented using existing
  resources;
               (4)  any policy or statutory change needed to implement
  a recommended option;
               (5)  the fiscal impact of implementing each option, if
  any;
               (6)  the estimated number of children and families that
  may be affected by the implementation of each option; and
               (7)  any other significant information relating to the
  study.
         (e)  Not later than September 30 of each even-numbered year
  after the date the initial report is filed under Subsection (d), the
  department and the Department of State Health Services shall update
  the report.  The updated report must include the implementation
  status of each recommended option under Subsection (d).
         SECTION 4.  Section 531.803, Government Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as
  follows:
         (a)  The council shall:
               (1)  analyze the biennial legislative appropriations
  requests of members of the council for services provided to
  children and their families and identify appropriations that,
  through the coordination of members of the council, could be
  modified in the next legislative appropriation request to eliminate
  waste or increase available services and, not later than May 1 of
  each even-numbered year, prepare a report recommending those
  modifications for consideration during the development of the next
  biennial legislative appropriations request;
               (2)  investigate opportunities to increase flexible
  funding for health, education, and human services provided to
  children and their families;
               (3)  identify methods to remove barriers to local
  coordination of health, education, and human services provided to
  children and their families;
               (4)  identify methods to ensure that children and youth
  receive appropriate assessment, diagnoses, and intervention
  services;
               (5)  identify and develop methods and strategies to
  coordinate and enhance prevention services for children and their
  families;
               (6)  develop methods to prevent unnecessary parental
  relinquishment of custody of children and make recommendations to
  the executive commissioner regarding options for improving the
  system for serving families who relinquish, or are at risk of
  relinquishing, custody of a child solely to obtain mental health
  services for the child, after considering whether it would be
  appropriate to serve those families without a finding of abuse or
  neglect or without including the finding of abuse or neglect in the
  central registry of reported cases of child abuse or neglect;
               (7) [(6)]  prioritize assisting children in family
  settings rather than institutional settings;
               (8) [(7)]  make recommendations about family
  involvement in the provision and planning of health, education, and
  human services for a child, including family partner and liaison
  models; and
               (9) [(8)]  identify technological methods to ensure
  the efficient and timely transfer of information among state
  agencies providing health, education, and human services to
  children and their families.
         (a-1)  The executive commissioner shall review the council's
  recommendations under Subsection (a)(6) and direct the
  implementation of any policy changes the executive commissioner
  determines necessary that can be implemented using existing
  resources.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.