Title HR, Human Resources Code

Sec. 261.054. SUNSET PROVISION. The office is subject to review under Chapter 325, Government Code (Texas Sunset Act), but is not abolished under that chapter. The office shall be reviewed during the periods in which the Texas Juvenile Justice Department or its successor agency i…

Sec. 261.055. REPORT. (a) The independent ombudsman shall submit on a quarterly basis to the board, the governor, the lieutenant governor, the state auditor, and each member of the legislature a report that is both aggregated and disaggregated by individual facility and describes…

Sec. 261.056. COMMUNICATION AND CONFIDENTIALITY. (a) The department shall allow any child committed to the department or adjudicated for conduct that constitutes an offense and placed in a facility operated by or contracted with a juvenile probation department or juvenile board t…

Sec. 261.057. PROMOTION OF AWARENESS OF OFFICE. The independent ombudsman shall promote awareness among the public and the children committed to the department or adjudicated for conduct that constitutes an offense and placed in a facility operated by or contracted with a juvenil…

Sec. 261.058. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY. (a) The office by rule shall establish policies and procedures for the operations of the office of independent ombudsman. (b) The office and the board shall adopt rules necessary to implement Section 261.060, including rules that establish proc…

Sec. 261.059. AUTHORITY OF STATE AUDITOR. The office is subject to audit by the state auditor in accordance with Chapter 321, Government Code. Transferred, redesignated and amended from Human Resources Code, Chapter 64 by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 85 (S.B. 653), Sec. 1.010,…

Sec. 261.060. REVIEW AND FORMAT OF REPORTS. (a) The office shall accept, both before and after publication, comments from the board concerning the following types of reports published by the office under this chapter: (1) the office's quarterly report under Section 261.055(a); (2…

Sec. 261.061. COMPLAINTS. (a) The office shall maintain a system to promptly and efficiently act on complaints filed with the office that relate to the operations or staff of the office. The office shall maintain information about parties to the complaint, the subject matter of t…

Sec. 261.101. DUTIES AND POWERS. (a) The independent ombudsman shall: (1) review the procedures established by the board and evaluate the delivery of services to children to ensure that the rights of children are fully observed; (2) review complaints filed with the independent om…

Sec. 261.102. TREATMENT OF EMPLOYEES WHO COOPERATE WITH INDEPENDENT OMBUDSMAN. The department, a juvenile probation department, or another entity operating a facility in which children adjudicated for conduct that constitutes an offense are placed may not discharge or in any mann…

Sec. 261.103. TRAINING. The independent ombudsman shall attend annual sessions, including the training curriculum for juvenile correctional officers required under Section 242.009, and may participate in other appropriate professional training. Transferred, redesignated and amend…

Sec. 261.104. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING. (a) The office and the department shall enter into a memorandum of understanding concerning: (1) the most efficient manner in which to share information with one another; and (2) the procedures for handling overlapping monitoring duties …

Sec. 261.105. RISK FACTORS AND RISK ASSESSMENT TOOLS. (a) The office shall develop a comprehensive set of risk factors to use in assessing the overall risk level of facilities and entities described by Section 261.101(f) and of department parole offices. The risk factors may incl…

Sec. 261.106. RISK-BASED INSPECTIONS. (a) The office shall adopt a policy prioritizing the inspection of facilities conducted under Section 261.101(f) and of department parole offices based on the relative risk level of each entity. (b) The policy under Subsection (a) must requir…

Sec. 261.151. ACCESS TO INFORMATION OF GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES. (a) The independent ombudsman has access to the department's records relating to the children committed to the department. (b) The Department of Public Safety shall allow the independent ombudsman access to the juvenil…

Sec. 261.152. ACCESS TO INFORMATION OF PRIVATE ENTITIES. The independent ombudsman shall have access to the records of a private entity that relate to a child committed to the department or a child adjudicated for conduct that constitutes an offense and placed in a private facili…

Sec. 261.153. ACCESS TO INFORMATION OF JUVENILE PROBATION DEPARTMENTS. The independent ombudsman shall have access to the records of a juvenile probation department that relate to a child adjudicated for conduct that constitutes an offense and placed in a facility operated by or …