By: Dukes (Senate Sponsor - Williams) H.B. No. 1227
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 22, 2013;
April 22, 2013, read first time and referred to Committee on Health
and Human Services; May 10, 2013, reported adversely, with
favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote:
Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 10, 2013, sent to printer.)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1227 By: Deuell
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the use of an Internet application to allow access by
court-appointed volunteer advocates to child protective services
case information.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Chapter 264, Family Code, is
amended by adding Section 264.614 to read as follows:
Sec. 264.614. INTERNET APPLICATION FOR CASE TRACKING AND
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. (a) Subject to the availability of
money as described by Subsection (c), the department shall develop
an Internet application that allows a court-appointed volunteer
advocate representing a child in the managing conservatorship of
the department to access the child's case file through the
department's automated case tracking and information management
system and to add the volunteer advocate's findings and reports to
the child's case file.
(b) The court-appointed volunteer advocate shall maintain
the confidentiality required by this chapter and department rule
for the information accessed by the advocate through the system
described by Subsection (a).
(c) The department may use money appropriated to the
department and money received as a gift, grant, or donation to pay
for the costs of developing and maintaining the Internet
application required by Subsection (a). The department may solicit
and accept gifts, grants, and donations of any kind and from any
source for purposes of this section.
(d) The executive commissioner of the Health and Human
Services Commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement this
section.
SECTION 2. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective
date of this Act, the Department of Family and Protective Services
shall solicit money, if necessary, and develop the Internet
application as required by Section 264.614, Family Code, as added
by this Act.
(b) As soon as practicable after the effective date of this
Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services
Commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement Section
264.614, Family Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
* * * * *