Highlights of the 79th Texas Legislature - Senate

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES/PROTECTIVE & REGULATORY SERVICES
Requires the Department of Family and Protective Services to continue to pay the cost of foster care for a child for
whom DFPS provides care, including medical care, until the later of the date the child attains the age of 18 or the
date the child graduates from high school or ceases to be enrolled in a secondary school in a program leading toward
a high school diploma.
Authorizes the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission to adopt rules that establish
criteria and guidelines for the payment of foster care for certain children 18 years of age or older.
Department of Family and Protective Services Personnel Training─H.B. 801
By Representative Uresti et al.—Senate Sponsor: Senator Nelson
Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) personnel who receive reports of child abuse and neglect
must be properly trained to screen incoming calls and designate appropriate priority levels governing response times
by law enforcement and department investigative workers. Inadequate or inappropriate responses to reports of abuse
or neglect can lead to the injury or death of a child. This bill:
Requires DFPS to develop, in cooperation with local law enforcement officials and the Commission on State
Emergency Communications, a training program for DFPS personnel who receive reports of abuse and neglect.
Requires the training program to include information on the proper methods of screening reports of abuse and
neglect and ways to determine the seriousness of a report, including determining whether a report alleges
circumstances that could result in the death of or serious harm to a child or whether the report is less serious in
nature.
Investigation of Reports of Child Abuse and Neglect─H.B. 802
By Representative Uresti et al.—Senate Sponsor: Senator Nelson
Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) caseworkers are responsible for filling out large amounts of
paperwork in conjunction with the investigation of reports of child abuse or neglect that have been assigned the
highest priority. Some paperwork that caseworkers are responsible for completing could be completed by family
members of the child or children whom the report concerns. This bill:
Requires an employee of DFPS who responds to a report that is assigned the highest priority in accordance with
DFPS rules to identify, to the extent reasonable under the circumstances, forms and other paperwork that can be
completed by members of the family of the child who is the subject of the report.
Requires a DFPS employee to request the assistance of the child’s family members in completing that
documentation but provides that the employee remains responsible for ensuring that the documentation is completed
in an appropriate manner.
Coordinating Council to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect─H.B. 1685
By Representatives Dukes and Naishtat—Senate Sponsor: Senator Ellis
Texas depends on agencies, departments, and commissions to support efforts to react to and reduce the occurrence
of child abuse and neglect by promoting and fostering healthy families, prevention policies, programs, and activities.
This bill:
120 HIGHLIGHTS - 79 TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE