| 1 | 1 | | 81R11294 MCK-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Naishtat H.B. No. 4558 |
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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 the recruitment, employment, and retention of certain |
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| 8 | 8 | | Department of Family and Protective Services caseworkers. |
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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. Subchapter B, Chapter 40, Human Resources Code, |
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| 11 | 11 | | is amended by adding Section 40.0327 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 40.0327. RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF CASEWORKERS. |
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| 13 | 13 | | The department shall improve its recruitment and retention efforts |
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| 14 | 14 | | by: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) offering a recruitment and retention bonus for |
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| 16 | 16 | | direct delivery caseworker positions experiencing the highest |
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| 17 | 17 | | turnover; |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) standardizing the certification process for all |
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| 19 | 19 | | child protective services caseworkers regardless of category so |
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| 20 | 20 | | that each caseworker will be eligible for promotion not later than |
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| 21 | 21 | | the end of the 18th month after the date the caseworker begins |
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| 22 | 22 | | employment; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (3) expanding the department's educational stipend |
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| 24 | 24 | | program; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | (4) improving employee training. |
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| 26 | 26 | | SECTION 2. On and after the effective date of this Act, the |
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| 27 | 27 | | Department of Family and Protective Services shall hire all |
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| 28 | 28 | | entry-level caseworkers at the level of Protective Services |
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| 29 | 29 | | Specialist II. On the effective date of this Act, the department |
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| 30 | 30 | | shall promote all employees employed at the level of Protective |
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| 31 | 31 | | Services Specialist I to Protective Services Specialist II. |
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| 32 | 32 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 33 | 33 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 34 | 34 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 35 | 35 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 36 | 36 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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