Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1229 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	By: Van de Putte S.B. No. 1229
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to creating an advisory committee on child protective
7	7	services in the region that includes Bexar County for the
8	8	Department of Family and Protective Services.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Chapter 40, Human Resources Code, is amended by
11	11	adding Subchapter E to read as follows:
12	12	SUBCHAPTER E. BEXAR COUNTY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ADVISORY
13	13	COUNCIL
14	14	Sec. 40.121. BEXAR COUNTY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES
15	15	ADVISORY COUNCIL. (a) The Bexar County Child Protective Services
16	16	Advisory Council shall be an advisory committee to the department
17	17	that advises the department on child protective services issues
18	18	impacting the region that includes Bexar County. The purpose of the
19	19	Council is to support the realization of the department's mission
20	20	and goals in the region that includes Bexar County by providing a
21	21	regular forum for the discussion and resolution of region-specific
22	22	issues, concerns and recommendations.
23	23	(b) The Bexar County Child Protective Services Advisory
24	24	Council consists of:
25	25	(1) the Bexar County Judges Advisory Council; and
26	26	(2) the Bexar County Advocates Advisory Council.
27	27	Sec. 40.122. BEXAR COUNTY JUDGES ADVISORY COUNCIL.
28	28	(a) The Bexar County Judges Advisory Council consists of:
29	29	(1) the judge of each court in the county having
30	30	jurisdiction over child abuse and neglect cases and proceedings;
31	31	(2) the judge with supervisory authority over the
32	32	courts in the county having jurisdiction over child abuse and
33	33	neglect cases and proceedings;
34	34	(3) the department's director for the region that
35	35	includes Bexar County;
36	36	(4) a person or persons designated by the department
37	37	as having responsibility over and expertise regarding each of the
38	38	following program areas within the region that includes Bexar
39	39	county:
40	40	a) contract monitoring;
41	41	b) licensing and regulation of child
42	42	care operations;
43	43	c) investigations;
44	44	d) family based safety services; and
45	45	e)conservatorship and foster care.
46	46	Sec. 40.123. BEXAR COUNTY ADVOCATES ADVISORY COUNCIL.
47	47	(a) The Bexar County Advocates Advisory Council consists of seven
48	48	members residing in Bexar County who are:
49	49	1)a member of the Bexar County Child Welfare Board;
50	50	2)actively advocating for foster care youth and child welfare
51	51	within the region that includes Bexar County;
52	52	3)a foster care alumnus; or
53	53	4)a foster care parent.
54	54	(b) The presiding officer of the Bexar County Judges
55	55	Advisory Council shall appoint the members of the Bexar County
56	56	Advocates Advisory Council upon consideration of recommendations
57	57	made by advocates for foster care youth and child welfare in the
58	58	region that includes Bexar County.
59	59	Sec. 40.124. MEETINGS.
60	60	(a) The first meeting of the Bexar County Judges Advisory
61	61	Council shall be called no later than December 1, 2009 by the judge
62	62	with supervisory authority over the courts in the county having
63	63	jurisdiction over child abuse and neglect cases and proceedings.
64	64	At the first meeting, the Bexar County Judges Advisory Council
65	65	members shall elect a presiding officer from its members.
66	66	(1) The Bexar County Judges Advisory Council shall:
67	67	(a) meet quarterly at the call of the presiding
68	68	officer; and
69	69	(b) adopt bylaws.
70	70	(b) The Bexar County Advocates Advisory Council shall meet
71	71	quarterly with the judges on the Bexar County Judges Advisory
72	72	Council. The purpose of the quarterly meetings is to provide the
73	73	child protective services advocates in the region that includes
74	74	Bexar County the opportunity to bring to the attention of the judges
75	75	on the Bexar County Judges Advisory Council any concerns, questions
76	76	and recommendations the advocates have regarding the department's
77	77	policies and procedures that impact foster care youth, foster care
78	78	providers or other child protective service providers in the region
79	79	that includes Bexar County.
80	80	(c) The quarterly meeting between the judges on the Bexar
81	81	County Judges Advisory Council and the Bexar County Advocates
82	82	Advisory Council must occur not more than 21 days or less than 14
83	83	days before the date of the next quarterly meeting of the Bexar
84	84	County Judges Advisory Council. The information presented to the
85	85	judges at the meeting must be submitted in writing at least 7 days
86	86	before the meeting of the Bexar County Judges Advisory Council.
87	87	(d) The judges on the Bexar County Judges Advisory Council
88	88	shall present their questions, concerns and recommendations in
89	89	writing to the other members of the Bexar County Judges Advisory
90	90	Council at the Bexar County Judges Advisory Council quarterly
91	91	meeting. The questions, concerns and recommendations shall include
92	92	those raised by the Bexar County Advocates Advisory Council.
93	93	(e) The presiding officer of the Bexar County Judges
94	94	Advisory Council shall coordinate and facilitate all quarterly
95	95	meetings under this section. The department shall designate a
96	96	staff person to serve as a liaison to the Council to assist in
97	97	scheduling the quarterly meetings.
98	98	(f) The members of the Bexar County Judges Advisory Council
99	99	shall attend the quarterly meetings of the Judges Advisory Council.
100	100	Judges serving on the Judges Advisory Council shall also attend the
101	101	quarterly meetings with the advocates advisory council.
102	102	(g) The members of the Bexar County Advocates Advisory
103	103	Council shall attend each quarterly meeting of the advocates
104	104	advisory council. A member of the Bexar County Advocates Advisory
105	105	Council who fails to attend a quarterly meeting of the advocates
106	106	advisory council is considered to have resigned the member's
107	107	position on the council effective on the date of the meeting unless
108	108	the member receives prior approval for the member's absence from
109	109	the presiding officer of the Bexar County Judges Advisory Council.
110	110	A vacancy created by a resignation under this subsection shall be
111	111	filled as provided by Section 40.123.
112	112	(h) Both Councils are subject to any confidentiality
113	113	requirements imposed by federal or state law.
114	114	Sec. 40.125. DEPARTMENT'S DUTIES. The department shall
115	115	consider the issues, concerns and recommendations presented to the
116	116	department by the Bexar County Judges Advisory Council and respond
117	117	to those issues, concerns and recommendations not later than the
118	118	30th day after the date the issue, concern or recommendation is
119	119	raised in a quarterly meeting of the Council. The department's
120	120	written response must include the department's rationale for any
121	121	policy or action taken or not taken by the department. Staff of the
122	122	department who serve on the Bexar County Judges Advisory Council
123	123	shall ensure that the concerns and recommendations of the Council
124	124	are communicated to the appropriate staff within the department
125	125	with authority to consider these recommendations and determine
126	126	whether any change in department policy or practices is warranted
127	127	to effectively address these concerns.
128	128	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.