| 1 | 1 | | 81R11325 MCK-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Rose H.B. No. 4159 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to Department of Family and Protective Services |
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| 8 | 8 | | caseworkers and other employees. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 531.048, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 11 | | adding Subsection (d-1) to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (d-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (d), the Department of |
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| 13 | 13 | | Family and Protective Services shall increase the number of |
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| 14 | 14 | | department caseworkers so that: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) the average caseload for child protective services |
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| 16 | 16 | | caseworkers, adult protective services caseworkers, and |
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| 17 | 17 | | specialists in the child-care licensing division are equal to 80 |
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| 18 | 18 | | percent of the average caseload that existed on January 1, 2009, for |
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| 19 | 19 | | those employees; and |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) each child in the department's conservatorship is |
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| 21 | 21 | | able to be visited by the child's caseworker at least once each |
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| 22 | 22 | | month. |
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| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 40, Human Resources Code, |
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| 24 | 24 | | is amended by adding Section 40.0327 to read as follows: |
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| 25 | 25 | | Sec. 40.0327. CASEWORKER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION STUDY. |
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| 26 | 26 | | The department shall perform a study to determine ways to improve |
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| 27 | 27 | | the recruitment and retention of caseworkers. The study must |
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| 28 | 28 | | examine the factors that lead to caseworker turnover, including |
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| 29 | 29 | | salary, job stress, and training. |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 3. The Department of Family and Protective Services |
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| 31 | 31 | | shall increase and maintain the salary, including any supplemental |
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| 32 | 32 | | pay, for case management and investigative caseworkers and |
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| 33 | 33 | | supervisors and shall extend the equivalent supplemental pay to: |
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| 34 | 34 | | (1) each program director and program administrator in |
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| 35 | 35 | | an investigation unit in the child protective services division; |
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| 36 | 36 | | and |
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| 37 | 37 | | (2) each caseworker, supervisor, program director, |
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| 38 | 38 | | and program administrator in the child protective services division |
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| 39 | 39 | | providing services through conservatorship programs, foster care |
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| 40 | 40 | | and adoption programs, and family-based safety services programs. |
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| 41 | 41 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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