caseload targets for child and adult protective services

The text as introduced · 505 words

89R897 BDP-F

By: Walle
H.B. No. 660

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to employee caseload limit goals for child and adult

protective services and child-care licensing services and call

processing goals for certain of those services.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter I, Chapter 526, Government Code, as

effective April 1, 2025, is amended by adding Section 526.04011 to

read as follows:

Sec. 526.04011. CASELOAD LIMIT GOALS FOR CERTAIN

CASEWORKERS. Notwithstanding Section 526.0401(d) and to the extent

appropriated money is available for the purpose, the commission or

Department of Family and Protective Services, as appropriate, shall

work toward ensuring that the average caseload for the following

categories of caseworkers does not exceed the number specified by

this section:

(1) for caseworkers conducting child protective

services investigations, an average of 15 cases at any time;

(2) for child protective services caseworkers

providing family-based safety services, an average of 10 cases at

any time;

(3) for child protective services caseworkers

providing services through conservatorship programs, an average of

20 cases at any time;

(4) for child protective services caseworkers

providing services through foster and adoption programs, an average

of 20 cases at any time;

(5) for child-care licensing inspectors, an average

caseload of 64 nonresidential child-care facilities or registered

family homes at any time;

(6) for child-care licensing day-care investigators,

an average caseload of 17 investigations at any time; and

(7) for adult protective services specialists

providing adult protective services through in-home programs, an

average of 22 cases at any time.

SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 40, Human Resources Code,

is amended by adding Section 40.073 to read as follows:

Sec. 40.073. ABUSE, NEGLECT, AND EXPLOITATION HOTLINE:

CALL PROCESSING GOALS. (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 3. Not later than December 1, 2026:

(1) the Health and Human Services Commission and the

Department of Family and Protective Services shall jointly submit a

report to the standing committees of the senate and house of

representatives having primary jurisdiction over those state

agencies regarding the agencies' progress in achieving the caseload

limit goals described in Section 526.04011, Government Code, as

added by this Act; and

(2) the Department of Family and Protective Services

shall submit a report to the committees described in Subdivision

(1) of this section regarding the department's progress in

achieving the call processing goals described in Section 40.073,

Human Resources Code, as added by this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.