| SB 218 |
Description: (TP Bill) Relating to procedures in certain suits affecting the parent-child relationship and the operation of the child protective services and foster care systems.
TP Recommendations:
- Removal of the Perpetrator: Revamp the removal of the perpetrator provision contained in Chapter 262 of the Family Code in order to strengthen the provision and increase its usage thus keeping more children in their homes when a protective caregiver is present.
- Improve Child Well-Being in Foster Care: Restructure Reimbursement Level of Care System to reward improvements in child’s well being vs. current perverse incentives to keep child “unwell” in costly intensive care and perverse incentives to move child to a more restrictive, more costly placement.
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Author: Nelson
Last Action: 05/12/2011 H Reported favorably as substituted
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| SB 219
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Description: (TP Bill) Relating to health and mental health services for children in foster care and kinship care.
TP Recommendations:
- Trauma-Informed Care Training: Expand statute on Trauma-Informed Care to mandate training for all caregivers of abused children with minimum 15 hrs recommended by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (Fostering Connections / HB1151 (81R)).
- Reduce Misdiagnosis of ADHD in Abused Children: Improve Training for medical professionals treating abused children on overlapping diagnostic criteria of complex PTSD vs. ADHD training: Include testing requirement for Complex PTSD before prescribing stimulants for traumatized children to avert unintentional outcomes.
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Author: Nelson
Last Action: 05/10/2011 H Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
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SB 471 /
HB 1114
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Description: (TP Bill) Relating to public school and child-care facility policies addressing sexual abuse and other maltreatment of children.
TP Recommendations:
- Prevention and Training for All Types of Child Maltreatment: Current Texas law based on HB 1041 (81R) regarding school district sexual child abuse policy should be expanded to:
- Include training on the prevention of child sexual abuse as well as of all forms of child abuse;
- Specify that the training should be research based and emphasizes programs that provide curriculum where adults take responsibility for prevention;
- Include charter schools and child care facilities;
- Include language that the training programs can be obtained at no costs; and
- Require that records of attendance be maintained.
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Authors: SB471 - West; HB1114 - Parker
Last Action: SB 471 - 05/11/2011 H Referred to Public Education. HB 1114 - 05/09/2011 H Comm. report sent to Local & Consent Calendar.
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HB 2324
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Description: (TP Bill) Relating to Child Abuse Reporting policies in schools, charter schools, child care facilities and other state licensed organizations.
TP Recommendations:
Require institutions such as schools, charter schools, child care facilities and other state licensed organizations who have direct contact with children to:
- Adopt and implement written policies consistent with the state mandatory reporting law, ensuring that professionals suspecting abuse or neglect make a direct report to DFPS; and
- Provide training to mandatory reporters on recognizing and reporting suspected child abuse and neglect.
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Author: Raymond
Last Action: 04/19/2011 H Left pending in committee.
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SB 993 /
HB 1854
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Description: (TP Bill) Relating to Child Safety Placements.
TP Recommendations:
Establish statutory guidelines for what a Parental Child Safety Placement Plan must contain (fka Voluntary Placements) so that children are not left in dangerous, unsupervised relative placements.
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Author: SB 993 - Uresti, HB 1854 - Rodriguez
Last Action: SB 993 - 05/10/2011 H Reported favorably w/o amendment(s). HB 1854 - 05/12/2011 S Scheduled for public hearing.
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SB 434
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Description: (TP Bill) Relating to Children Witnessing Domestic Violence
TP Recommendations:
Examine current laws and see if they sufficiently protect a child who witnesses domestic/family violence and recognize that a child witnessing domestic violence can be a form of child maltreatment.
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Author: Nelson
Last Action: 5/4/2011 H Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
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SB 1154
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Description: (TP Bill) State Wide Strategy for Reducing Child Abuse and Improving Child Welfare: Continuation of the Blue Ribbon Task Force created by SB 2080 81(R).
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Author: Uresti
Last Action: 05/12/2011 H Reported favorably w/o amendment(s).
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