Bill Text: TX HB1342 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to employee caseload and call processing standards for the provision of child and adult protective services.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-01 - Referred to Human Services [HB1342 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HB1342-Introduced.html
| 82R5693 EES-D | ||
| By: Walle | H.B. No. 1342 | |
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| relating to employee caseload and call processing standards for the | ||
| provision of child and adult protective 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, an average of 21 | ||
| cases at any time; | ||
| (2) for caseworkers in the child protective services | ||
| division providing family-based safety services, an average of 18 | ||
| cases at any time; and | ||
| (3) for adult protective services specialists in the | ||
| adult protective services division providing services through | ||
| in-home programs, an average of 27 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 [ |
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| 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 40.0529 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 40.0529. 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 eight 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, 2012, 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 40.0529, Human Resources | ||
| Code, as added by this Act. | ||
| SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. | ||
