Bill Text: TX HB690 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a best practices guide for persons involved in child protective services cases.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-02-27 - Referred to Human Services [HB690 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB690-Introduced.html
| 85R1609 MCK-D | ||
| By: Wu | H.B. No. 690 | |
|
|
||
|
|
||
| relating to a best practices guide for persons involved in child | ||
| protective services cases. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 40, Human Resources Code, | ||
| is amended by adding Section 40.0529 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 40.0529. BEST PRACTICES GUIDE FOR CHILD PROTECTIVE | ||
| SERVICES CASES. (a) The department shall develop a best practices | ||
| guide to establish uniform practices in child protective services | ||
| cases across this state. The guide must: | ||
| (1) describe the different stages of a child | ||
| protective services case, including intake, initial investigation, | ||
| assessment of the child and family, case planning, court | ||
| proceedings, case management services, and case closure; | ||
| (2) describe the roles and responsibilities of the | ||
| persons involved in each stage identified in Subdivision (1); and | ||
| (3) include definitions of commonly used terms, model | ||
| timelines and procedural flowcharts for the most common child | ||
| protective services cases, and a list by area of services available | ||
| to children and parents. | ||
| (b) The department shall design the best practices guide to | ||
| assist: | ||
| (1) an attorney representing a child or parent in a | ||
| suit affecting the parent-child relationship filed by the | ||
| department; | ||
| (2) a judge presiding over a case described in | ||
| Subdivision (1); | ||
| (3) a guardian ad litem representing a child in a case | ||
| described by Subdivision (1); | ||
| (4) a child protective services caseworker or | ||
| investigator; and | ||
| (5) any other individual involved in a child | ||
| protective services case that the department determines would | ||
| benefit from the best practices guide. | ||
| (c) The department shall make the best practices guide | ||
| available on the department's Internet website. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2017. | ||
