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Texas Statutes (Last Updated: January 4, 2014) |
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FAMILY CODE |
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Title 5. THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP AND THE SUIT AFFECTING THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP |
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Subtitle E. PROTECTION OF THE CHILD |
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Chapter 264. CHILD WELFARE SERVICES |
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Subchapter F. CHILD FATALITY REVIEW AND INVESTIGATION |
Sec. 264.503. PURPOSE AND DUTIES OF COMMITTEE AND SPECIFIED STATE AGENCIES
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(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 reduce the number of preventable child deaths; and
(3) promote public awareness and make recommendations to the governor and the legislature for changes in law, policy, and practice to reduce the number of preventable child deaths.
(b) To ensure that the committee achieves its purpose, the department and the Department of State Health Services shall perform the duties specified by this section.
(c) The department shall work cooperatively with:
(1) the Department of State Health Services;
(2) the committee; and
(3) individual child fatality review teams.
(d) The Department of State Health Services shall:
(1) recognize the creation and participation of review teams;
(2) promote and coordinate training to assist the review teams in carrying out their duties;
(3) assist the committee in developing model protocols for:
(A) the reporting and investigating of child fatalities for law enforcement agencies, child protective services, justices of the peace and medical examiners, and other professionals involved in the investigations of child deaths;
(B) the collection of data regarding child deaths; and
(C) the operation of the review teams;
(4) develop and implement procedures necessary for the operation of the committee; and
(5) promote education of the public regarding the incidence and causes of child deaths, the public role in preventing child deaths, and specific steps the public can undertake to prevent child deaths.
(d-1) The committee shall enlist the support and assistance of civic, philanthropic, and public service organizations in the performance of the duties imposed under Subsection (d).
(e) In addition to the duties under Subsection (d), the Department of State Health Services shall:
(1) collect data under this subchapter and coordinate the collection of data under this subchapter with other data collection activities; and
(2) perform annual statistical studies of the incidence and causes of child fatalities using the data collected under this subchapter.
(f) The committee shall issue a report for each preventable child death. The report must include findings related to the child's death, recommendations on how to prevent similar deaths, and details surrounding the department's involvement with the child prior to the child's death. Not later than April 1 of each year, the committee shall publish a compilation of the reports published under this subsection during the year, submit a copy of the compilation to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and department, and make the compilation available to the public. Not later than October 1 of each year, the department shall submit a written response on the compilation from the previous year to the committee, governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives describing which of the committee's recommendations regarding the operation of the child protective services system the department will implement and the methods of implementation.
(g) The committee shall perform the functions and duties required of a citizen review panel under 42 U.S.C. Section 5106a(c)(4)(A).