| 1 | 1 | | 85R1609 MCK-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Wu H.B. No. 690 |
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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 a best practices guide for persons involved in child |
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| 8 | 8 | | protective services cases. |
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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 40.0529 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 40.0529. BEST PRACTICES GUIDE FOR CHILD PROTECTIVE |
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| 13 | 13 | | SERVICES CASES. (a) The department shall develop a best practices |
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| 14 | 14 | | guide to establish uniform practices in child protective services |
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| 15 | 15 | | cases across this state. The guide must: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) describe the different stages of a child |
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| 17 | 17 | | protective services case, including intake, initial investigation, |
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| 18 | 18 | | assessment of the child and family, case planning, court |
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| 19 | 19 | | proceedings, case management services, and case closure; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) describe the roles and responsibilities of the |
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| 21 | 21 | | persons involved in each stage identified in Subdivision (1); and |
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| 22 | 22 | | (3) include definitions of commonly used terms, model |
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| 23 | 23 | | timelines and procedural flowcharts for the most common child |
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| 24 | 24 | | protective services cases, and a list by area of services available |
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| 25 | 25 | | to children and parents. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (b) The department shall design the best practices guide to |
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| 27 | 27 | | assist: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (1) an attorney representing a child or parent in a |
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| 29 | 29 | | suit affecting the parent-child relationship filed by the |
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| 30 | 30 | | department; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2) a judge presiding over a case described in |
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| 32 | 32 | | Subdivision (1); |
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| 33 | 33 | | (3) a guardian ad litem representing a child in a case |
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| 34 | 34 | | described by Subdivision (1); |
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| 35 | 35 | | (4) a child protective services caseworker or |
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| 36 | 36 | | investigator; and |
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| 37 | 37 | | (5) any other individual involved in a child |
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| 38 | 38 | | protective services case that the department determines would |
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| 39 | 39 | | benefit from the best practices guide. |
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| 40 | 40 | | (c) The department shall make the best practices guide |
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| 41 | 41 | | available on the department's Internet website. |
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| 42 | 42 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 43 | 43 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 44 | 44 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 45 | 45 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 46 | 46 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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