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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the Department of Family and Protective Services' |
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annual report of key performance measures and data elements for |
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child protection; authorizing a penalty. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 264.017, Family Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (f) to read as |
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follows: |
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(b) The department shall provide the report required by |
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Subsection (a) to the legislature and shall publish the report and |
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make the report available electronically to the public, including |
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by posting the report on the department's Internet website, not |
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later than February 1 of each year. The report must include, with |
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respect to the preceding year: |
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(1) information on the number and disposition of |
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reports of child abuse and neglect received by the department; |
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(2) information on the number of clients for whom the |
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department took protective action, including investigations, |
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alternative responses, and court-ordered removals; |
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(3) information on the number of clients for whom the |
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department provided services in each program administered by the |
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child protective services division, including investigations, |
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alternative responses, family-based safety services, |
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conservatorship, post-adoption services, and transitional living |
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services; |
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(4) the number of children in this state who died as a |
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result of child abuse or neglect; |
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(5) the number of children described by Subdivision |
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(4) for whom the department was the children's managing conservator |
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at the time of death; |
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(6) information on the timeliness of the department's |
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initial contact in an investigation or alternative response; |
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(7) information on the response time by the department |
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in commencing services to families and children for whom an |
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allegation of child abuse or neglect has been made; |
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(8) information regarding child protection staffing |
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and caseloads by program area; |
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(9) information on the permanency goals in place and |
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achieved for children in the managing conservatorship of the |
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department, including information on the timeliness of achieving |
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the goals, the stability of the children's placement in foster |
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care, and the proximity of placements to the children's home |
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counties; |
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(10) the number of children who suffer from a severe |
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emotional disturbance and for whom the department is appointed |
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managing conservator, including statistics on appointments as |
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joint managing conservator, due to an individual voluntarily |
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relinquishing custody of a child solely to obtain mental health |
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services for the child; |
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(11) the number of children who are pregnant or a |
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parent while in the managing conservatorship of the department and |
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the number of the children born to a parent in the managing |
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conservatorship of the department who are placed in the managing |
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conservatorship of the department; |
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(12) the number of children who are missing from the |
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children's substitute care provider while in the managing |
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conservatorship of the department; [and] |
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(13) the number of children who were victims of |
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trafficking under Chapter 20A, Penal Code, while in the managing |
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conservatorship of the department; and |
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(14) information on the state's kinship care program. |
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(f) The comptroller shall assess a penalty against the |
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department in the amount of $1,000 for each day after February 1 the |
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department has not filed the report under Subsection (b). The |
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comptroller shall reallocate the amount assessed as a penalty under |
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this subsection as necessary to allow the department to use the |
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money to provide financial assistance to relative and other |
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designated caregivers under Section 264.755. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |