85R2986 MM-F     By: Walle H.B. No. 482       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 B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is   amended by adding Section 531.0481 to read as follows:          Sec. 531.0481.  CASELOAD LIMIT GOALS FOR CERTAIN   CASEWORKERS.  Notwithstanding Section 531.048(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, 2018:                (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 531.0481, 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, 2017.