Title FA, Family Code

Sec. 264.203. REQUIRED PARTICIPATION. (a) The department may file a suit requesting the court to render a temporary order requiring the parent, managing conservator, guardian, or other member of the child's household to: (1) participate in the services for which the department ma…

Sec. 264.2031. SELECTION OF SERVICE PROVIDER; REIMBURSEMENT. (a) A parent, managing conservator, guardian, or other member of a household ordered to participate in services under Section 264.203(a) may obtain those services from a qualified provider selected by the person. (b) A …

Sec. 264.2032. REPORT ON COURT-ORDERED PARTICIPATION IN SERVICES. The department shall report the number of cases in which a court under Section 264.203 orders the following persons with respect to a child who is placed with a caregiver under a parental child safety placement und…

Sec. 264.204. COMMUNITY-BASED FAMILY SERVICES. (a) The department shall administer a grant program to provide funding to community organizations, including faith-based or county organizations, to respond to: (1) low-priority, less serious cases of abuse and neglect; and (2) cases…

Sec. 264.2041. CULTURAL AWARENESS. The department shall: (1) develop and deliver cultural competency training to all service delivery staff; (2) increase targeted recruitment efforts for foster and adoptive families who can meet the needs of children and youth who are waiting for…

Sec. 264.2042. NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES. (a) The department shall cooperate with nonprofit organizations, including faith-based organizations, in providing information to families in crisis regarding child and family services, including respite …

Sec. 264.2043. PROHIBITION ON ABUSE OR NEGLECT INVESTIGATION BASED SOLELY ON REQUEST FOR INFORMATION. The department may not initiate an investigation of child abuse or neglect based solely on a request submitted to the department by a child's parent for information relating to c…

Sec. 264.2044. GRANTS FOR FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY COLLABORATIVE PROGRAMS. (a) Using available funds or private donations, the governor shall establish and administer an innovation grant program to award grants to support faith-based community programs that collaborate with the depa…

Sec. 264.205. SWIFT ADOPTION TEAMS. (a) The department shall develop swift adoption teams to expedite the process of placing a child under the jurisdiction of the department for adoption. Swift adoption teams developed under this section shall, in performing their duties, attempt…

Sec. 264.207. HOME STUDY REQUIRED BEFORE ADOPTION. (a) The department must complete a home study before the date an applicant is approved for an adoption. (b) Repealed by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 944 , Sec. 86(32), eff. September 1, 2015. Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch.…

Sec. 264.401. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "center" means a children's advocacy center. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 255, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.

Sec. 264.402. ESTABLISHMENT OF CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER. On the execution of a memorandum of understanding under Section 264.403, a children's advocacy center may be established by community members and the participating agencies described by Section 264.403(a) to serve a count…

Sec. 264.403. INTERAGENCY MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING. (a) A center shall enter into a memorandum of understanding regarding participation in the multidisciplinary team response under Section 264.406. The center and each of the following agencies must execute the memorandum of un…

Sec. 264.4031. MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM WORKING PROTOCOL. (a) A center shall adopt a multidisciplinary team working protocol. The working protocol must include: (1) the center's mission statement; (2) the role of each participating agency on the multidisciplinary team and the agenc…

Sec. 264.404. BOARD REPRESENTATION. (a) In addition to any other persons appointed or elected to serve on the governing board of a center, the governing board must include an executive officer of, or an employee with decision-making authority selected by an executive officer of: …

Sec. 264.405. CENTER DUTIES. (a) A center shall: (1) receive, review, and track department reports relating to the suspected abuse or neglect of a child or the death of a child from abuse or neglect to ensure a consistent, comprehensive approach to all cases that meet the criteri…

Sec. 264.406. MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM. (a) A center's multidisciplinary team must include employees of the participating agencies described by Section 264.403(a). (b) A representative of any other entity may participate in the multidisciplinary team response as provided by the mul…

Sec. 264.4061. MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM RESPONSE REQUIRED. (a) The department shall refer a case to a center and the center shall initiate a response by a center's multidisciplinary team appointed under Section 264.406 when conducting an investigation of: (1) a report of abuse or n…

Sec. 264.407. LIABILITY. (a) A person is not liable for civil damages for a recommendation made or an opinion rendered in good faith while acting in the official scope of the person's duties as a member of a multidisciplinary team or as a board member, staff member, or volunteer …

Sec. 264.408. USE OF INFORMATION AND RECORDS; CONFIDENTIALITY AND OWNERSHIP. (a) The files, reports, records, communications, and working papers used or developed in providing services under this chapter are confidential and not subject to public release under Chapter 552, Govern…

Sec. 264.409. ADMINISTRATIVE CONTRACTS. (a) The commission shall contract with one statewide organization that is exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(a), Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as an organization described by Section 501(c)(3) of that code and that is co…

Sec. 264.410. CONTRACTS WITH CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTERS. (a) The statewide organization with which the commission contracts under Section 264.409 shall contract with eligible centers to establish, maintain, and enhance the services provided by the centers. (b) The contract under…

Sec. 264.411. ELIGIBILITY FOR CONTRACTS. (a) A public entity that operated as a center under this subchapter before November 1, 1995, or a nonprofit entity is eligible for a contract under Section 264.410 if the entity: (1) has a signed memorandum of understanding as provided by …

Sec. 264.501. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: Text of subdivision effective until April 01, 2027 (1) "Autopsy" and "inquest" have the meanings assigned by Article 49.01, Code of Criminal Procedure. Text of subdivision effective on April 01, 2027 (1) "Autopsy" and "inquest" have …

Sec. 264.502. COMMITTEE. (a) The child fatality review team committee is composed of: (1) a person appointed by and representing the state registrar of vital statistics; (2) a person appointed by and representing the commissioner of the department; (3) a person appointed by and r…

Sec. 264.503. PURPOSE AND DUTIES OF COMMITTEE AND SPECIFIED STATE AGENCIES. (a) The purpose of the committee is to: (1) develop an understanding of the causes and incidence of child deaths in this state; (2) identify procedures within the agencies represented on the committee to …

Sec. 264.5031. COLLECTION OF NEAR FATALITY DATA. (a) In this section, "near fatality" means a case where a physician has certified that a child is in critical or serious condition, and a caseworker determines that the child's condition was caused by the abuse or neglect of the ch…

Sec. 264.5032. REPORT ON CHILD FATALITY AND NEAR FATALITY DATA. (a) The department shall produce an aggregated report relating to child fatality and near fatality cases resulting from child abuse or neglect containing the following information: (1) any prior contact the departmen…

Sec. 264.504. MEETINGS OF COMMITTEE. (a) Except as provided by Subsections (b), (c), and (d), meetings of the committee are subject to the open meetings law, Chapter 551, Government Code, as if the committee were a governmental body under that chapter. (b) Any portion of a meetin…

Sec. 264.505. ESTABLISHMENT OF REVIEW TEAM. (a) A multidisciplinary and multiagency child fatality review team may be established for a county to review child deaths in that county. A county may join with an adjacent county or counties to establish a combined review team. (b) Any…

Sec. 264.506. PURPOSE AND DUTIES OF REVIEW TEAM. (a) The purpose of a review team is to decrease the incidence of preventable child deaths by: (1) providing assistance, direction, and coordination to investigations of child deaths; (2) promoting cooperation, communication, and co…

Sec. 264.507. DUTIES OF PRESIDING OFFICER. The presiding officer of a review team shall: (1) send notices to the review team members of a meeting to review a child fatality; (2) provide a list to the review team members of each child fatality to be reviewed at the meeting; (3) su…

Sec. 264.508. REVIEW PROCEDURE. (a) The review team of the county in which the injury, illness, or event that was the cause of the death of the child occurred, as stated on the child's death certificate, shall review the death. (b) On receipt of the list of child fatalities under…

Sec. 264.509. ACCESS TO INFORMATION. (a) A review team may request information and records regarding a deceased child as necessary to carry out the review team's purpose and duties. Records and information that may be requested under this section include: (1) medical, dental, and…

Sec. 264.510. MEETING OF REVIEW TEAM. (a) A meeting of a review team is closed to the public and not subject to the open meetings law, Chapter 551, Government Code. (b) This section does not prohibit a review team from requesting the attendance at a closed meeting of a person who…

Sec. 264.511. USE OF INFORMATION AND RECORDS; CONFIDENTIALITY. (a) Information and records acquired by the committee or by a review team in the exercise of its purpose and duties under this subchapter are confidential and exempt from disclosure under the open records law, Chapter…

Sec. 264.512. GOVERNMENTAL UNITS. The committee and a review team are governmental units for purposes of Chapter 101, Civil Practice and Remedies Code. A review team is a unit of local government under that chapter. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 255, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 19…

Sec. 264.513. REPORT OF DEATH OF CHILD. (a) A person who knows of the death of a child younger than six years of age shall immediately report the death to the medical examiner of the county in which the death occurs or, if the death occurs in a county that does not have a medical…

Sec. 264.514. PROCEDURE IN THE EVENT OF REPORTABLE DEATH. Text of subsection effective until April 01, 2027 (a) A medical examiner or justice of the peace notified of a death of a child under Section 264.513 shall hold an inquest under Chapter 49, Code of Criminal Procedure, to d…

Sec. 264.515. INVESTIGATION. (a) The investigation required by Section 264.514 must include: (1) an autopsy, unless an autopsy was conducted as part of the inquest; (2) an inquiry into the circumstances of the death, including an investigation of the scene of the death and interv…

Sec. 264.601. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: (1) "Abused or neglected child" means a child who is: (A) the subject of a suit affecting the parent-child relationship filed by a governmental entity; and (B) under the control or supervision of the department. (1-a) "Active volunte…

Sec. 264.602. CONTRACTS WITH ADVOCATE PROGRAMS. (a) The statewide organization with which the commission contracts under Section 264.603 shall contract for services with eligible volunteer advocate programs to provide advocacy services to abused or neglected children. (b) The con…

Sec. 264.603. ADMINISTRATIVE CONTRACTS. (a) The commission shall contract with one statewide organization that is exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(a), Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as an organization described by Section 501(c)(3) of that code and that is co…

Sec. 264.604. ELIGIBILITY FOR CONTRACTS. (a) A person is eligible for a contract under Section 264.602 only if the person is a public or private nonprofit entity that operates a volunteer advocate program that: (1) uses individuals appointed as volunteer advocates or guardians ad…

Sec. 264.605. CONTRACT FORM. A person shall apply for a contract under Section 264.602 on a form provided by the commission. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Sec. 1, eff. April 20, 1995. Amended by: Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 597 (S.B. 354), Sec. 7, eff. September 1, 2…

Sec. 264.606. CRITERIA FOR AWARD OF CONTRACTS. The statewide organization with which the commission contracts under Section 264.603 shall consider the following in awarding a contract under Section 264.602: (1) the volunteer advocate program's eligibility for and use of funds fro…