Bill Text: TX HB1237 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to adverse disproportionalities within the child protective services system.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-1)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-05-14 - Referred to Health & Human Services [HB1237 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB1237-Engrossed.html
87R21988 MCK-D | ||
By: White, Thierry, J. Johnson of Harris, | H.B. No. 1237 | |
et al. |
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relating to adverse disproportionalities within the child | ||
protective services system. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 40, Human Resources Code, | ||
is amended by adding Section 40.028 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 40.028. ANALYZING AND ADDRESSING ADVERSE | ||
DISPROPORTIONALITY. (a) The commissioner shall analyze the | ||
adverse disproportionate involvement of children who are members of | ||
a demographic group in the child protective services system, | ||
including at each stage of child protective services | ||
investigations. | ||
(b) On identifying an adverse disproportionality described | ||
by Subsection (a), the commissioner shall: | ||
(1) establish a team to address the | ||
disproportionality; and | ||
(2) notify the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker | ||
of the house of representatives, and chairs of the standing | ||
committees of the senate and house of representatives having | ||
primary jurisdiction over the department of the | ||
disproportionality. | ||
(c) In appointing members to a team to address the adverse | ||
disproportionality, the commissioner shall appoint representatives | ||
with expertise in different subjects relevant to the | ||
disproportionality. | ||
(d) The commissioner shall direct the team to: | ||
(1) research an evidence-based approach to address the | ||
adverse disproportionality; | ||
(2) identify resources for addressing and eliminating | ||
or reducing the disproportionality; and | ||
(3) assist the commissioner in obtaining those | ||
resources from and if necessary requesting those resources from the | ||
legislature. | ||
(e) The commissioner shall set a time to complete the | ||
elimination or reduction of the adverse disproportionality and | ||
measures for determining whether the disproportionality has been | ||
eliminated or reduced. | ||
(f) As soon as practicable, the commissioner shall report to | ||
the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of | ||
representatives, and chairs of the standing committees of the | ||
senate and house of representatives having primary jurisdiction | ||
over the department on: | ||
(1) the evidence-based approach the department will | ||
use to eliminate or reduce the adverse disproportionality; | ||
(2) the resources needed to eliminate or reduce the | ||
disproportionality; | ||
(3) the time set to complete the elimination or | ||
reduction of the disproportionality; and | ||
(4) the strategic plan and measures to eliminate or | ||
reduce the adverse disproportionality. | ||
(g) At the conclusion of the time set by the commissioner to | ||
complete the elimination or reduction of the adverse | ||
disproportionality, the commissioner shall report to the governor, | ||
lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and | ||
chairs of the standing committees of the senate and house of | ||
representatives having primary jurisdiction over the department: | ||
(1) the results of the department's evidence-based | ||
approach to eliminating or reducing the disproportionality; and | ||
(2) if the department's approach: | ||
(A) successfully eliminated or reduced the | ||
disproportionality, the department's plan for ensuring the | ||
disproportionality is not reinstated or expanded; or | ||
(B) failed to eliminate or reduce the | ||
disproportionality: | ||
(i) the reasons the approach failed; and | ||
(ii) the new strategic plan and measures | ||
the department will implement to eliminate or reduce the | ||
disproportionality. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |