Bill Text: TX HB993 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: 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.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-30 - Left pending in committee [HB993 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-HB993-Introduced.html

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84R4521 EES-F
By: Walle H.B. No. 993

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 in the child
protective services division, 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 inspectors in the
child-care licensing division, an average caseload of 64
nonresidential child-care facilities or registered family homes at
any time;
(6) for child-care licensing day-care investigators
in the child-care licensing division, an average caseload of 17
investigations at any time; and
(7) 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 40.075 to read as follows:
Sec. 40.075. 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, 2016, 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 40.075, Human Resources
Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.