By: Dukes (Senate Sponsor - Williams)	H.B. No. 1227
	(In the Senate - Received from the House April 22, 2013;
	April 22, 2013, read first time and referred to Committee on Health
	and Human Services; May 10, 2013, reported adversely, with
	favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote:
	Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 10, 2013, sent to printer.)
	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1227	By:  Deuell

	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to the use of an Internet application to allow access by
	court-appointed volunteer advocates to child protective services
	case information.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter G, Chapter 264, Family Code, is
	amended by adding Section 264.614 to read as follows:
	Sec. 264.614.  INTERNET APPLICATION FOR CASE TRACKING AND
	INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. (a)  Subject to the availability of
	money as described by Subsection (c), the department shall develop
	an Internet application that allows a court-appointed volunteer
	advocate representing a child in the managing conservatorship of
	the department to access the child's case file through the
	department's automated case tracking and information management
	system and to add the volunteer advocate's findings and reports to
	the child's case file.
	(b)  The court-appointed volunteer advocate shall maintain
	the confidentiality required by this chapter and department rule
	for the information accessed by the advocate through the system
	described by Subsection (a).
	(c)  The department may use money appropriated to the
	department and money received as a gift, grant, or donation to pay
	for the costs of developing and maintaining the Internet
	application required by Subsection (a). The department may solicit
	and accept gifts, grants, and donations of any kind and from any
	source for purposes of this section.
	(d)  The executive commissioner of the Health and Human
	Services Commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement this
	section.
	SECTION 2.  (a)  As soon as practicable after the effective
	date of this Act, the Department of Family and Protective Services
	shall solicit money, if necessary, and develop the Internet
	application as required by Section 264.614, Family Code, as added
	by this Act.
	(b)  As soon as practicable after the effective date of this
	Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services
	Commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement Section
	264.614, Family Code, as added by this Act.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
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