Amend Amendment No. 11 by Walle to CSHB 39 by adding the following appropriately numbered SECTIONS to the amendment and renumbering subsequent SECTIONS of the bill accordingly:
SECTION ____. Subchapter B, Chapter 40, Human Resources Code, is amended by adding Section 40.0324 to read as follows:
Sec. 40.0324. MINIMUM CASEWORKER EDUCATION REQUIREMENT. The department may not hire a person to be a child protective services caseworker unless the person has a bachelor's degree. The department shall give preference to an applicant for a child protective services caseworker position if the applicant has a bachelor's degree or an advanced degree in social work conferred by a college or university accredited by an accrediting organization recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
SECTION ____. Section 40.0324, Human Resources Code, as added by this Act, applies only to a child protective services caseworker hired by the Department of Family and Protective Services on or after the effective date of this Act. A caseworker hired before the effective date of this Act is not required to possess the degree required by Section 40.0324, Human Resources Code, as added by this Act, as long as the person remains employed by the Department of Family and Protective Services as a caseworker.