Bill Text: TX HB1084 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to the creation of the committee on licensing standards in the Department of Family and Protective Services.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-02-26 - Referred to Human Services [HB1084 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-HB1084-Introduced.html

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86R621 MCK-F
By: Raymond H.B. No. 1084

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the creation of the committee on licensing standards in
the Department of Family and Protective Services.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 42, Human Resources Code,
is amended by adding Section 42.0221 to read as follows:
Sec. 42.0221. COMMITTEE ON LICENSING STANDARDS. (a) The
committee on licensing standards is composed of nine members
appointed by the governor as follows:
(1) one member who operates a residential child-care
facility licensed by the department;
(2) one member who operates a child-placing agency
licensed by the department;
(3) one member who operates a licensed child-care
facility that provides child care for less than 24 hours a day;
(4) one member who is a parent, guardian, or custodian
of a child who uses a facility licensed by the department;
(5) one member who is an expert in the field of child
care and child development;
(6) two members employed by the department who work
with facilities licensed by the department; and
(7) two members who represent child advocacy
organizations.
(b) Committee members serve two-year terms, with the terms
of four or five members, as appropriate, expiring February 1 of each
year.
(c) The governor shall designate a committee member to serve
as the presiding officer of the committee.
(d) The committee shall meet twice a year at the call of the
presiding officer.
(e) The committee shall review and analyze the information
provided by the department and committee members and shall make
recommendations for policy and statutory changes relating to
licensing standards and facility inspections. The review and
analysis by the committee must include the analysis of:
(1) the deaths of children who are in substitute care,
including reports and findings of child fatality review teams under
Subchapter F, Chapter 264, Family Code;
(2) the types of licensing violations for each
category of weighted risk assigned to licensing standards and rules
and each region;
(3) the details of administrative reviews and appeals;
and
(4) the type of technical assistance provided to
license holders and facilities and the qualifications of the
persons providing the technical assistance.
(f) The committee shall review and analyze nationwide best
practices of child-care providers and other state standards related
to staff-to-child ratios and group sizes applicable to
nonresidential child-care facilities that provide care for less
than 24 hours a day and make recommendations to the department for
policy and statutory changes related to the ratios and group sizes.
(g) From the recommendations provided under Subsection (f),
the department shall annually reduce the maximum number of children
one or more caregivers may supervise in nonresidential child-care
facilities that provide care for less than 24 hours a day subject to
the following limitations:
(1) the number of children may not exceed the maximum
number of children one or more caregivers may supervise as
established in the department's proposed rules published in the
Texas Register on June 11, 2010;
(2) the maximum number of children may not be reduced
by more than three for each age group; and
(3) the maximum number of children ages 17 months of
age and younger may not be reduced.
(h) The committee shall report its findings and
recommendations to the department and the legislature not later
than December 1 of each year.
(i) This section expires September 1, 2023.
SECTION 2. Not later than October 1, 2019, the governor
shall appoint nine members to the committee on licensing standards
as provided by Section 42.0221, Human Resources Code, as added by
this Act. The initial members of the committee on licensing
standards appointed under this section shall draw lots to determine
which members will serve terms expiring February 1, 2020, and which
members will serve terms expiring February 1, 2021.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.