2019S0223-1 02/15/19
 
  By: Menéndez S.B. No. 1544
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to administrative review of investigations of reports of
  child abuse or neglect.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 261.309, Family Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows:
         (c-1)  Not later than the 15th day after the date the
  department completes the investigation, the investigator, an
  employee of the department providing family-based safety services,
  or, if neither the investigator nor an employee providing
  family-based safety services is available, any employee of the
  department shall attempt to provide oral, in-person notice to the
  person who is alleged to have abused or neglected a child that the
  person has a right to request an administrative review under
  Subsection (c). The department shall document the notice or
  attempted notice in the investigation report described by Section
  261.308.
         SECTION 2.  The Department of Family and Protective Services
  shall adopt rules necessary to implement Section 261.309(c-1),
  Family Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after the
  effective date of this Act.
         SECTION 3.  Section 261.309(c-1), Family Code, as added by
  this Act, applies only to an investigation completed on or after the
  effective date of this Act. An investigation completed before the
  effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the
  date the investigation was completed, and the former law is
  continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2019.