Relating to reporting certain information regarding the placement of children and suits filed by the Department of Family and Protective Services.

89(R) SB 596 - House Committee Report version - Bill Text

By: West, et al.

S.B. No. 596

(A. Davis of Dallas)

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to reporting certain information regarding the placement

of children and suits filed by the Department of Family and

Protective Services.

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

SECTION 1. Sections 264.017(b) and (f), Family Code, are

amended to read as follows:

(b) The department shall provide the report required by

Subsection (a) to the legislature and shall publish the report and

make the report available electronically to the public not later

than February 1 of each year. The report must include, with respect

to the preceding year:

(1) information on the number and disposition of

reports of child abuse and neglect received by the department;

(2) information on the number of clients for whom the

department took protective action, including investigations,

alternative responses, and court-ordered removals;

(3) information on the number of clients for whom the

department provided services in each program administered by the

child protective services division, including investigations,

alternative responses, family-based safety services,

conservatorship, post-adoption services, and transitional living

services;

(4) the number of children in this state who died as a

result of child abuse or neglect;

(5) the number of children described by Subdivision

(4) for whom the department was the children's managing conservator

at the time of death;

(6) information on the timeliness of the department's

initial contact in an investigation or alternative response;

(7) information on the response time by the department

in commencing services to families and children for whom an

allegation of child abuse or neglect has been made;

(8) information regarding child protection staffing

and caseloads by program area;

(9) information on the permanency goals in place and

achieved for children in the managing conservatorship of the

department, including information on the timeliness of achieving

the goals, the stability of the children's placement in foster

care, and the proximity of placements to the children's home

counties;

(10) the number of children who suffer from a severe

emotional disturbance and for whom the department is appointed

managing conservator, including statistics on appointments as

joint managing conservator, due to an individual voluntarily

relinquishing custody of a child solely to obtain mental health

services for the child;

(11) the number of children who are pregnant or a

parent while in the managing conservatorship of the department and

the number of the children born to a parent in the managing

conservatorship of the department who are placed in the managing

conservatorship of the department;

(12) the number of children who are missing from the

children's substitute care provider while in the managing

conservatorship of the department; [
and
]

(13) the number of children who were victims of

trafficking under Chapter 20A, Penal Code, while in the managing

conservatorship of the department
; and

(14)

information on the outcome of each suit filed by

the department and the type of placement of the child during the

pendency of the suit
.

(f) In addition to the other reports required by this

section, the department shall publish
on the department's Internet

website
a monthly report containing the following information for

the preceding month
:

(1)
with respect to parental child safety placement

agreements:

(A)
[
(1)
] the number of children placed under a

parental child safety placement agreement
, disaggregated by:

(i)

the child's age, race, gender,

ethnicity, and county of residence;

(ii)

the annualized incomes of the parent

or other person with whom the child resides and the caregiver of the

child; and

(iii)

whether the child has previously been

in the managing conservatorship of the department
;

(B)

the number of parental child safety placement

agreements in effect on the last day of the month;

(C)
[
(2)
] the average duration of a placement

under a parental child safety placement agreement;

(D)
[
(3)
] the average duration of a placement

under a parental child safety placement agreement during an

investigation; and

(E)
[
(4)
] the percentage of children removed

from a placement under a parental child safety placement agreement

and placed in the managing conservatorship of the department
; and

(2)

by child protective services region with respect

to:

(A)

authorization agreements executed under

Chapter 34 regarding a child who is the subject of an investigation

of abuse or neglect, a suit filed by the department, or an agreement

under which the department provides services to the child's parent:

(i)

the number of authorization agreements

executed;

(ii)

the number of children subject to

authorization agreements, disaggregated by the child's race and

gender; and

(iii)

the average duration of an

authorization agreement; and

(B)

court orders for temporary authorization for

care of a child under Chapter 35 regarding a child who is the

subject of an investigation of abuse or neglect, a suit filed by the

department, or an agreement under which the department provides

services to the child's parent:

(i) the number of orders signed;

(ii)

the number of children subject to

orders, disaggregated by the child's race and gender; and

(iii) the average duration of an order
.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.