| 1 | 1 | | 85R3477 MK-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: González of El Paso H.B. No. 634 |
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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 minimum education requirements for child protective |
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| 8 | 8 | | services caseworkers. |
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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 B, Chapter 40, Human Resources Code, |
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| 11 | 11 | | is amended by adding Section 40.0324 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 40.0324. MINIMUM CASEWORKER EDUCATION REQUIREMENT. |
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| 13 | 13 | | The department may not hire a person to be a child protective |
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| 14 | 14 | | services caseworker unless the person has a bachelor's degree. The |
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| 15 | 15 | | department shall give preference to an applicant for a child |
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| 16 | 16 | | protective services caseworker position if the applicant has a |
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| 17 | 17 | | bachelor's degree or an advanced degree in social work conferred by |
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| 18 | 18 | | a college or university accredited by an accrediting organization |
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| 19 | 19 | | recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. |
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| 20 | 20 | | SECTION 2. Section 40.0324, Human Resources Code, as added |
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| 21 | 21 | | by this Act, applies only to a child protective services caseworker |
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| 22 | 22 | | hired by the Department of Family and Protective Services on or |
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| 23 | 23 | | after the effective date of this Act. A caseworker hired before the |
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| 24 | 24 | | effective date of this Act is not required to possess the degree |
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| 25 | 25 | | required by Section 40.0324, Human Resources Code, as added by this |
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| 26 | 26 | | Act, as long as the person remains employed by the Department of |
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| 27 | 27 | | Family and Protective Services as a caseworker. |
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| 28 | 28 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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