| 1 | 1 | | 81R2677 MCK-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Uresti, Shapiro S.B. No. 1734 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | relating to the Department of Family and Protective Services |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | caseworker replacement program. |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 40.0324, Human Resources Code, is |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | amended to read as follows: |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 40.0324. CASEWORKER REPLACEMENT PROGRAM. (a) In this |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | section: |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | (1) "Caseworker" means a full-time department |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | employee who serves as a child protective services specialist. |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | (2) "Training academy" means an entity established by |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | the department to train caseworkers. |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | (a-1) The [To the extent that funding is available, the] |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | department shall develop a program to provide for the timely |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | replacement of caseworkers with trainees hired in anticipation of |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | vacancies. |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | (b) In developing the program, the department shall: |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | (1) remove the limit on the number of authorized |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | positions for a category of caseworker in a region of the state in |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | which the turnover rate for that category exceeds 20 percent; |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | (2) increase the number of trainee positions for a |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | category of caseworker described by Subdivision (1) in the training |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | academy in the region to a total that is 140 percent of the number of |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | trainee positions that existed immediately before September 1, |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | 2009; |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | (3) maintain the number of trainers and other |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | necessary positions in the training academy in the region at the |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | level necessary to accomplish the purposes of Subdivision (2); and |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | (4) provide available funds as necessary to accomplish |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | the purposes of this subsection [consider the turnover rate for |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | caseworkers by region]. |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 2. (a) Not later than December 31, 2010, the |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | Department of Family and Protective Services shall submit a report |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | to the legislature regarding the effect of Section 40.0324, Human |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | Resources Code, as amended by this Act, on the retention of |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | caseworkers in the state. |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | (b) The report under Subsection (a) of this section must |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | include an assessment of the continuing need for the caseworker |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | replacement program under Section 40.0324, Human Resources Code, as |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | amended by this Act, and a recommendation on whether the program |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | should be continued. |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
|---|