| 1 | 1 | | By: West S.B. No. 681 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (J. Davis of Harris) |
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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 establishment of a task force to study the |
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| 8 | 8 | | assessments of children in the child welfare system. |
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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 C, Chapter 40, Human Resources Code, |
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| 11 | 11 | | is amended by adding Section 40.074 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 40.074. CHILD WELFARE ASSESSMENT TASK FORCE. (a) The |
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| 13 | 13 | | child welfare assessment task force is established to: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) study the assessments used by the department to |
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| 15 | 15 | | determine the appropriate placement, treatment, and service needs |
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| 16 | 16 | | for a child; |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) develop a list of tools for providers to use when |
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| 18 | 18 | | conducting behavioral assessments of children in the child welfare |
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| 19 | 19 | | system; and |
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| 20 | 20 | | (3) develop guidelines regarding the contents of |
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| 21 | 21 | | assessment reports. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (b) The task force consists of the following members |
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| 23 | 23 | | appointed by the executive commissioner: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (1) one member from the National Association of Social |
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| 25 | 25 | | Workers, Texas Chapter; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2) one member from the Texas Foster Family |
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| 27 | 27 | | Association; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (3) one member from the Texas Psychological |
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| 29 | 29 | | Association; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (4) one member who is a member of the department's |
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| 31 | 31 | | public-private partnership regarding foster care redesign; |
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| 32 | 32 | | (5) one member who receives or has received mental |
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| 33 | 33 | | health services as a foster child; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (6) one member who is an advocate for children's |
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| 35 | 35 | | interests in the child welfare system; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (7) one member who is a judge with experience working |
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| 37 | 37 | | with cases involving child protective services; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (8) one member who is a parent with experience in the |
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| 39 | 39 | | child welfare system; |
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| 40 | 40 | | (9) three members who are clinicians with experience |
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| 41 | 41 | | in, and knowledge of, comprehensive assessments and training in |
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| 42 | 42 | | trauma-informed assessment and care; |
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| 43 | 43 | | (10) one member from the department; and |
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| 44 | 44 | | (11) one member from the commission. |
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| 45 | 45 | | (c) Each member appointed to the task force must have |
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| 46 | 46 | | experience and expertise relating to children's behavioral health |
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| 47 | 47 | | and the study and prevention of child abuse and neglect. |
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| 48 | 48 | | (d) The task force shall elect a presiding officer by a vote |
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| 49 | 49 | | of the membership of the task force. |
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| 50 | 50 | | (e) The task force shall meet at the call of the presiding |
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| 51 | 51 | | officer. |
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| 52 | 52 | | (f) Not later than December 1, 2012, the task force shall |
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| 53 | 53 | | prepare and submit to the commissioner a report containing: |
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| 54 | 54 | | (1) a description of the activities of the task force; |
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| 55 | 55 | | and |
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| 56 | 56 | | (2) the findings and recommendations of the task |
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| 57 | 57 | | force, including: |
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| 58 | 58 | | (A) a list of tools for providers to use when |
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| 59 | 59 | | conducting behavioral assessments of children in the child welfare |
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| 60 | 60 | | system; and |
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| 61 | 61 | | (B) guidelines regarding the contents of |
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| 62 | 62 | | assessment reports. |
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| 63 | 63 | | (g) Not later than September 1, 2013, the department shall |
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| 64 | 64 | | adopt policies that incorporate the findings and recommendations of |
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| 65 | 65 | | the task force described by Subsection (f), to the extent that such |
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| 66 | 66 | | recommendations: |
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| 67 | 67 | | (1) are generally accepted standards of practice or |
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| 68 | 68 | | care for a physician, psychologist, or other professional who would |
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| 69 | 69 | | conduct the assessment; and |
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| 70 | 70 | | (2) can be implemented within existing fiscal |
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| 71 | 71 | | resources appropriated to the department. |
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| 72 | 72 | | (h) This section expires September 1, 2014. |
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| 73 | 73 | | SECTION 2. The executive commissioner of the Health and |
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| 74 | 74 | | Human Services Commission shall make the appointments to the child |
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| 75 | 75 | | welfare assessment task force created by this Act not later than |
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| 76 | 76 | | January 1, 2012. |
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| 77 | 77 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 78 | 78 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 79 | 79 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 80 | 80 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 81 | 81 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |
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