H.B. No. 1227
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.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 1227 was passed by the House on April
18, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 143, Nays 0, 2 present, not
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
No. 1227 on May 20, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 1,
2 present, not voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 1227 was passed by the Senate, with
amendments, on May 17, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays
0.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: __________________
Date
__________________
Governor