Bill Text: TX SB1544 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to administrative review of investigations of reports of child abuse or neglect.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-14 - Referred to Health & Human Services [SB1544 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-SB1544-Introduced.html

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2019S0223-1 02/15/19
By: Menéndez S.B. No. 1544

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to administrative review of investigations of reports of
child abuse or neglect.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 261.309, Family Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows:
(c-1) Not later than the 15th day after the date the
department completes the investigation, the investigator, an
employee of the department providing family-based safety services,
or, if neither the investigator nor an employee providing
family-based safety services is available, any employee of the
department shall attempt to provide oral, in-person notice to the
person who is alleged to have abused or neglected a child that the
person has a right to request an administrative review under
Subsection (c). The department shall document the notice or
attempted notice in the investigation report described by Section
261.308.
SECTION 2. The Department of Family and Protective Services
shall adopt rules necessary to implement Section 261.309(c-1),
Family Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after the
effective date of this Act.
SECTION 3. Section 261.309(c-1), Family Code, as added by
this Act, applies only to an investigation completed on or after the
effective date of this Act. An investigation completed before the
effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the
date the investigation was completed, and the former law is
continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 4. 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, 2019.