By: Walle H.B. No. 4479
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to employee caseload limit goals for child and adult
  protective services and child-care licensing services and call
  processing goals for certain of those services.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 531.0481 to read as follows:
         Sec. 531.0481.  CASELOAD LIMIT GOALS FOR CERTAIN
  CASEWORKERS. Notwithstanding Section 531.048(d) and to the extent
  appropriated money is available for the purpose, the commission or
  Department of Family and Protective Services, as appropriate, shall
  work toward ensuring that the average caseload for the following
  categories of caseworkers does not exceed the number specified by
  this section:
               (1)  for caseworkers conducting child protective
  services investigations, an average of 15 cases at any time;
               (2)  for child protective services caseworkers
  providing family-based safety services, an average of 10 cases at
  any time;
               (3)  for child protective services caseworkers
  providing services through conservatorship programs, an average of
  20 cases at any time;
               (4)  for child protective services caseworkers
  providing services through foster and adoption programs, an average
  of 20 cases at any time;
               (5)  for child-care licensing inspectors, an average
  caseload of 64 nonresidential child-care facilities or registered
  family homes at any time;
               (6)  for child-care licensing day-care investigators,
  an average caseload of 17 investigations at any time; and
               (7)  for adult protective services specialists
  providing adult protective services through in-home programs, an
  average of 22 cases at any time.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter C, Chapter 40, Human Resources Code,
  is amended by adding Section 40.073 to read as follows:
         Sec. 40.073.  ABUSE, NEGLECT, AND EXPLOITATION HOTLINE:
  CALL PROCESSING GOALS. (a)  With respect to the hotline maintained
  by the department for purposes of receiving reports under Section
  261.103, Family Code, and Section 48.051, to the extent
  appropriated money is available for the purpose, the department
  shall work toward ensuring that:
               (1)  the average hold time for calls to the hotline does
  not exceed five minutes; and
               (2)  the call abandonment rate for each state fiscal
  year does not exceed 25 percent.
         (b)  The executive commissioner by rule shall adopt the
  methodology to be used to calculate the call abandonment rate
  referred to in Subsection (a)(2).
         SECTION 3.  Not later than December 1, 2022:
               (1)  the Health and Human Services Commission and the
  Department of Family and Protective Services shall jointly submit a
  report to the standing committees of the senate and house of
  representatives having primary jurisdiction over those state
  agencies regarding the agencies' progress in achieving the caseload
  limit goals described in Section 531.0481, Government Code, as
  added by this Act; and
               (2)  the Department of Family and Protective Services
  shall submit a report to the committees described in Subdivision
  (1) of this section regarding the department's progress in
  achieving the call processing goals described in Section 40.073,
  Human Resources Code, as added by this Act.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.