Texas 2013 - 83rd Regular

Texas House Bill HB304 Latest Draft

Bill / Introduced Version

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                            83R1882 EES-F
 By: Walle H.B. No. 304


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to employee caseload standards for child and adult
 protective services and child-care licensing services and call
 processing standards for certain of those services.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Section 531.048, Government Code, is amended by
 adding Subsection (d-1) to read as follows:
 (d-1)  Notwithstanding Subsection (d) and to the extent
 appropriated money is available for the purpose, the Department of
 Family and Protective Services shall work toward ensuring that the
 average caseload for the following categories of department
 caseworkers does not exceed the number specified by this
 subsection:
 (1)  for investigative caseworkers, an average of 15
 cases at any time;
 (2)  for caseworkers in the child protective services
 division providing family-based safety services, an average of 10
 cases at any time;
 (3)  for caseworkers in the child protective services
 division providing services through conservatorship programs, an
 average of 20 cases at any time;
 (4)  for caseworkers in the child protective services
 division providing services through foster and adoption programs,
 an average of 20 cases at any time;
 (5)  for child-care licensing specialists, including
 inspectors, in the child-care licensing division, an average
 caseload of 64 child-care facilities or registered family homes at
 any time; and
 (6)  for adult protective services specialists in the
 adult protective services division providing services through
 in-home programs, an average of 22 cases at any time,
 notwithstanding Subsection (g).
 SECTION 2.  Section 40.0528(a), Human Resources Code, is
 amended to read as follows:
 (a)  Subject to Section 531.048, Government Code, the [The]
 department shall develop and implement a staffing and workload
 distribution plan for the child protective services program to:
 (1)  reduce caseloads;
 (2)  enhance accountability;
 (3)  improve the quality of investigations;
 (4)  eliminate delays; and
 (5)  ensure the most efficient and effective use of
 child protective services staff and resources.
 SECTION 3.  Subchapter C, Chapter 40, Human Resources Code,
 is amended by adding Section 40.0529 to read as follows:
 Sec. 40.0529.  ABUSE, NEGLECT, AND EXPLOITATION HOTLINE:
 CALL PROCESSING STANDARDS. (a)  With respect to the hotline
 maintained by the department for purposes of receiving reports
 under Section 261.103, Family Code, and Section 48.051, to the
 extent appropriated money is available for the purpose, the
 department shall work toward ensuring that:
 (1)  the average hold time for calls to the hotline does
 not exceed five minutes; and
 (2)  the call abandonment rate for each state fiscal
 year does not exceed 25 percent.
 (b)  The executive commissioner by rule shall adopt the
 methodology to be used to calculate the call abandonment rate
 referred to in Subsection (a)(2).
 SECTION 4.  Not later than December 1, 2014, the Department
 of Family and Protective Services shall submit a report to the
 standing committees of the senate and house of representatives
 having primary jurisdiction over the Department of Family and
 Protective Services regarding the department's progress in
 achieving the caseload standards described in Section
 531.048(d-1), Government Code, as added by this Act, and the call
 processing standards described in Section 40.0529, Human Resources
 Code, as added by this Act.
 SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.