87R6956 MLH-D
 
  By: Klick H.B. No. 2055
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to investigations of child abuse and neglect and the
  procedures for adding names to or removing names from the central
  registry of child abuse and neglect.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 261.002, Family Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsections (a-1),
  (a-2), and (b-1) to read as follows:
         (a)  The department shall establish and maintain a central
  registry of the names of persons [individuals] found by the
  department to have abused or neglected a child other than persons
  whose case was assigned the severity code "Low". Except as provided
  by Subsection (a-1), the department shall maintain the person's
  name in the registry until:
               (1)  the fifth anniversary of the date of the finding
  for a case assigned the severity code "Moderate";
               (2)  the 15th anniversary of the date of the finding for
  a case assigned the severity code "Serious";
               (3)  the 30th anniversary of the date of the finding for
  a case assigned the severity code "Severe" or the 15th anniversary
  of the date of the finding if the court returned the child to the
  child's home during the period within which the court must render a
  final order under Chapter 263; and
               (4)  the 99th anniversary of the date of the finding for
  a case assigned the severity code "Near Fatal" or "Fatal".
         (a-1)  If the department's finding of abuse or neglect is
  sustained by an administrative law judge of the State Office of
  Administrative Hearings, the department shall maintain the
  person's name in the central registry until the 20th anniversary of
  the date of the finding or the date designated under Subsection (a),
  whichever is longer.
         (a-2)  The department may not maintain a person's name in the
  central registry after the date the department disposes of the case
  records related to the investigation.
         (b)  The [executive] commissioner shall adopt rules
  necessary to carry out this section. The rules shall:
               (1)  prohibit the department from making a finding of
  abuse or neglect against a person in a case in which the department
  is named managing conservator of a child who has a severe emotional
  disturbance only because the child's family is unable to obtain
  mental health services for the child;
               (2)  establish guidelines for reviewing the records in
  the registry and removing those records in which the department was
  named managing conservator of a child who has a severe emotional
  disturbance only because the child's family was unable to obtain
  mental health services for the child;
               (3)  require the department to remove a person's name
  from the central registry maintained under this section not later
  than the 10th business day after:
                     (A)  the date the department receives notice that
  a finding of abuse and neglect against the person is overturned in:
                           (i) [(A)]  an administrative review or an
  appeal of the review conducted under Section 261.309(c);
                           (ii) [(B)]  a review or an appeal of the
  review conducted by the office of consumer relations [affairs] of
  the department; or
                           (iii) [(C)]  a hearing or an appeal
  conducted by the State Office of Administrative Hearings; or
                     (B)  the date the expungement review panel renders
  a decision to remove a person's name from the registry after
  conducting an expungement hearing under Subchapter G; and
               (4)  require the department to update any relevant
  department files to reflect an overturned finding of abuse or
  neglect against a person not later than the 10th business day after
  the date the finding is overturned in a review, hearing, or appeal
  described by Subdivision (3).
         (b-1)  The department shall remove from the central registry
  the name of any person against whom the department made a finding of
  abuse or neglect when the person was younger than 18 years of age
  if:
               (1)  two years have passed since the department made
  the finding;
               (2)  the department has not made any subsequent finding
  of abuse or neglect against the person;
               (3)  the person has not had a juvenile offender
  adjudication for any act other than the same incident that resulted
  in the finding made by the department; and
               (4)  the person has not had any criminal adjudications
  for an offense involving child abuse or neglect other than the
  incident that resulted in the finding made by the department.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter D, Chapter 261, Family Code, is
  amended by adding Section 261.3081 to read as follows:
         Sec. 261.3081.  SEVERITY CODES. (a) The department shall
  assign a severity code as provided by this section to each
  substantiated finding of abuse or neglect made by the department in
  an investigation relating to a person described in Sections
  261.001(5)(A)-(D).
         (b)  The department shall assign the severity code "Low" to
  an isolated incident where there was a threat of harm but no injury
  to the child and the incident was due to an accident or parental
  mistake that does not pose an ongoing risk of harm beyond the
  incident. The "Low" severity code is limited to substantiated
  findings of neglectful supervision. The department may not use the
  severity code "Low" in an investigation of a school under Section
  261.406 in which the department substantiated findings of abuse or
  neglect.
         (c)  The department shall assign the severity code
  "Moderate" to an incident of abuse or neglect in which there is a
  low or moderate risk of future harm to a child, there are no
  unmanaged dangers in the home, the incident does not result in
  removal, and the department closes the investigation with a
  recommendation for community services. The severity code
  "Moderate" is limited to substantiated findings of emotional abuse,
  neglectful supervision, and physical abuse consisting of an
  isolated incident of inappropriate discipline that does not require
  care by a medical provider or result in substantial injury to the
  child.
         (d)  The department shall assign the severity code "Serious"
  to an incident of abuse or neglect in which there is a high risk of
  future harm to a child, there are unmanaged dangers in the home, and
  without services to the family removal of the child from the home
  would be necessary. The severity code "Serious" is limited to
  substantiated findings of emotional abuse, neglectful supervision,
  refusal to accept parental responsibility, medical or physical
  neglect if the incident did not result in any harm or injury to the
  child, and physical abuse excluding circumstances of physical abuse
  that resulted in serious injury to a child.
         (e)  The department shall assign the severity code "Severe"
  to an incident of abuse or neglect in which there is a very high risk
  of future harm to a child, there are unmanaged dangers in the home,
  and a court in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship
  renders an order removing the child from the home. The severity
  code "Severe" is limited to substantiated findings of sexual abuse,
  physical abuse that resulted in serious injury to the child,
  medical or physical neglect that resulted or could have resulted in
  impairment to the child's overall health or well-being, sex or
  labor trafficking, forced marriage, and abandonment.
         (f)  The department shall assign the severity code "Near
  Fatal" to an incident of abuse or neglect that meets the definition
  of near fatality in Section 264.5031.
         (g)  The department shall assign the severity code "Fatal" to
  an incident of abuse or neglect that results in a child fatality.
         (h)  This section does not apply to a person alleged to have
  abused or neglected a child at a child-care facility as defined by
  Section 42.002(3), Human Resources Code.
         (i)  The commissioner may adopt rules to implement this
  section.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter D, Chapter 261, Family Code, is
  amended by adding Section 261.317 to read as follows:
         Sec. 261.317.  RECORDS RETENTION; EXPUNCTION. (a) The
  department may retain records related to an investigation under
  this chapter in accordance with the department's records retention
  schedule after a person's name has been removed from the central
  registry in order to perform background checks required under
  Section 42.056, Human Resources Code, and to conduct risk and
  safety assessments.
         (b)  The department shall comply with a court order directing
  expunction of the department's records concerning a person for whom
  the department maintains records.
         SECTION 4.  Chapter 261, Family Code, is amended by adding
  Subchapter G to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER G. REMOVING NAMES FROM CENTRAL REGISTRY OF ABUSE AND
  NEGLECT
         Sec. 261.601.  DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "central
  registry" means the central registry of the names of persons found
  by the department to have abused or neglected a child maintained by
  the department under Section 261.002.
         Sec. 261.602.  NONAPPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER. This
  subchapter does not apply to persons alleged to have abused or
  neglected a child in a child-care facility as defined by Section
  42.002(3), Human Resources Code, or to school investigations
  conducted under Section 261.406.
         Sec. 261.603.  EXPUNGEMENT REVIEW PANEL; MEMBERS. (a) The
  department shall establish an expungement review panel to review
  requests to have a person's name removed from the central registry.
         (b)  The expungement review panel is composed of department
  employees and a representative of the public appointed by the
  commissioner. Members of the review panel serve two-year terms and
  may serve for not more than three terms.
         (c)  A person may not serve as a public member of the
  expungement review panel if the person:
               (1)  has been convicted of or indicted for an offense
  involving child abuse or neglect;
               (2)  has been determined by the department to have
  engaged in child abuse or neglect; or
               (3)  is under investigation by the department for child
  abuse or neglect.
         (d)  The public member of the expungement review panel is a
  department volunteer for the purposes of Section 411.114,
  Government Code.
         (e)  The members of the expungement review panel are immune
  from civil or criminal liability for any act or omission that
  relates to their duty or responsibility as a member of the review
  panel if they acted in good faith and within the scope of their
  responsibility, as provided in Section 40.061, Human Resources
  Code.
         Sec. 261.604.  REQUEST FOR REMOVAL OF NAME. (a) A person
  who desires to have the person's name removed from the central
  registry shall submit a written request to the commissioner that
  includes a letter describing the reason for the request.
         (b)  Only the following persons may make a request to have
  their name removed from the central registry as provided by this
  subchapter:
               (1)  a parent, guardian, or managing or possessory
  conservator of the child;
               (2)  a member of the child's family or household as
  defined by Chapter 71; and
               (3)  a person with whom the child's parent cohabits.
         (c)  A person may not make a request under this section
  before the third anniversary of the date the department made the
  finding of child abuse or neglect.
         (d)  If the expungement review panel denies a request under
  this section after a hearing, the person may not submit a subsequent
  request until the first anniversary of the date the review panel
  rendered a decision on the person's last request.
         (e)  A person who has been determined by the department to
  have engaged in child abuse or neglect is not eligible for a review
  under this subchapter if:
               (1)  the incident of abuse or neglect resulted in a
  child fatality or near fatality;
               (2)  a court ordered termination of the parent-child
  relationship as a result of the abuse or neglect; or
               (3)  following the date of the department's
  determination, the department makes another substantiated finding
  of abuse and neglect by the person or the person had a criminal
  adjudication for an offense involving child abuse or neglect.
         Sec. 261.605.  HEARING DATE AND NOTICE; LIMITATION. (a) On
  receipt of a request under Section 261.604(a), the commissioner
  shall notify the expungement review panel of the request. The
  review panel shall set a date for a hearing on the request. The
  review panel shall hold the hearing not later than the 60th day
  after the date the commissioner receives the request, unless the
  panel has good cause for holding the hearing after that date.
         (b)  The expungement review panel shall send written notice
  of the date, time, and location of the hearing to the requestor and
  the regional office that conducted the original investigation.
         Sec. 261.606.  REVIEW HEARING. (a) At the hearing, the
  person requesting the review may present evidence supporting
  removal of the person's name from the central registry. The person
  has the burden of providing the expungement review panel with the
  basis for granting the request and may present evidence including:
               (1)  completion of treatment services or programs
  related to the finding;
               (2)  letters of support from professionals or others;
               (3)  evidence of activities that would reflect upon the
  person's changed behavior or circumstances such as therapy,
  employment, or education; and
               (4)  any other relevant evidence that shows changed
  circumstances.
         (b)  The regional office of the department that conducted the
  original investigation may:
               (1)  present evidence in support of or in opposition to
  the request; and
               (2)  make a recommendation regarding the request.
         Sec. 261.607.  EXPUNGEMENT REVIEW PANEL'S DECISION. (a)
  Not later than the 45th day after the date of the hearing, the
  expungement review panel shall render a written decision on the
  request that includes the review panel's reasons for the decision.
  The review panel's decision must be by majority vote.
         (b)  The expungement review panel shall provide the written
  decision to the person requesting the review and to the
  department's commissioner, deputy commissioner, chief of staff,
  and associate commissioner for child protective investigations.
         (c)  The expungement review panel shall consider the
  following factors in making its decision:
               (1)  the nature and severity of the allegations of
  abuse or neglect and the circumstances surrounding the allegations;
               (2)  the number of findings of abuse or neglect
  involving the person;
               (3)  whether the person was a child at the time the
  finding of abuse or neglect was made and the person's age at the
  time of the incident;
               (4)  whether the circumstances that contributed to the
  incident of abuse or neglect still exist;
               (5)  actions taken by the person since the incident to
  prevent the reoccurrence of abuse or neglect, including
  participation in and completion of services and programs related to
  the allegations; and
               (6)  any other relevant information that shows that the
  person no longer poses a risk to the safety and well-being of the
  alleged victim, other children, and vulnerable adults.
         Sec. 261.608.  LIMIT ON NUMBER OF REVIEW HEARINGS. A person
  may not have more than four hearings under this subchapter.
         Sec. 261.609.  CONFIDENTIALITY. The review conducted under
  this subchapter is confidential and not subject to disclosure under
  Chapter 552, Government Code.
         Sec. 261.610.  RULEMAKING. The commissioner may adopt rules
  to implement this subchapter.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.