| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to required reporting by the Department of Family and |
|
|
Protective Services regarding youth in the managing |
|
|
conservatorship of the department who attempt suicide. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 264.017(b), Family Code, is amended to |
|
|
read as follows: |
|
|
(b) The department shall provide the report required by |
|
|
Subsection (a) to the legislature and shall publish the report and |
|
|
make the report available electronically to the public not later |
|
|
than February 1 of each year. The report must include, with respect |
|
|
to the preceding year: |
|
|
(1) information on the number and disposition of |
|
|
reports of child abuse and neglect received by the department; |
|
|
(2) information on the number of clients for whom the |
|
|
department took protective action, including investigations, |
|
|
alternative responses, and court-ordered removals; |
|
|
(3) information on the number of clients for whom the |
|
|
department provided services in each program administered by the |
|
|
child protective services division, including investigations, |
|
|
alternative responses, family-based safety services, |
|
|
conservatorship, post-adoption services, and transitional living |
|
|
services; |
|
|
(4) the number of children in this state who died as a |
|
|
result of child abuse or neglect; |
|
|
(5) the number of children described by Subdivision |
|
|
(4) for whom the department was the children's managing conservator |
|
|
at the time of death; |
|
|
(6) information on the timeliness of the department's |
|
|
initial contact in an investigation or alternative response; |
|
|
(7) information on the response time by the department |
|
|
in commencing services to families and children for whom an |
|
|
allegation of child abuse or neglect has been made; |
|
|
(8) information regarding child protection staffing |
|
|
and caseloads by program area; |
|
|
(9) information on the permanency goals in place and |
|
|
achieved for children in the managing conservatorship of the |
|
|
department, including information on the timeliness of achieving |
|
|
the goals, the stability of the children's placement in foster |
|
|
care, and the proximity of placements to the children's home |
|
|
counties; |
|
|
(10) the number of children who suffer from a severe |
|
|
emotional disturbance and for whom the department is appointed |
|
|
managing conservator, including statistics on appointments as |
|
|
joint managing conservator, due to an individual voluntarily |
|
|
relinquishing custody of a child solely to obtain mental health |
|
|
services for the child; |
|
|
(11) the number of children who are pregnant or a |
|
|
parent while in the managing conservatorship of the department and |
|
|
the number of the children born to a parent in the managing |
|
|
conservatorship of the department who are placed in the managing |
|
|
conservatorship of the department; |
|
|
(12) the number of children who are missing from the |
|
|
children's substitute care provider while in the managing |
|
|
conservatorship of the department; [and] |
|
|
(13) the number of children who were victims of |
|
|
trafficking under Chapter 20A, Penal Code, while in the managing |
|
|
conservatorship of the department; and |
|
|
(14) the number of children who attempted suicide |
|
|
while in the managing conservatorship of the department. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 264.018(a)(4), Family Code, is amended |
|
|
to read as follows: |
|
|
(4) "Significant change in medical condition" means |
|
|
the occurrence of an injury or the onset of an illness that is |
|
|
life-threatening or may have serious long-term health |
|
|
consequences. The term includes: |
|
|
(A) the occurrence or onset of an injury or |
|
|
illness that requires hospitalization for surgery or another |
|
|
procedure that is not minor emergency care; and |
|
|
(B) a suicide attempt. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |