Senator Borris L. Miles Advances SB 182 Criminal Offenses to Protect the Most Vulnerable

Style Magazine Newswire | 3/23/2023, 10:47 a.m.
Senator Borris L. Miles passed SB 182, to protect the most vulnerable who are receiving services from the Department of …
Senator Borris L. Miles

Senator Borris L. Miles passed SB 182, to protect the most vulnerable who are receiving services from the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) and Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD), out of the Texas Senate Committee on Health and Human Services.

Currently, there are no requirements that exist for employees of the DFPS and TJJD to report criminal offenses committed by fellow employees and contractors against those receiving services from DFPS and TJJD.

“As we learned during the testimony regarding The Refuge in the Special Committee on Child Protective Services, the absence of mandatory reporting requirements for all employees can prove to be dangerous for some of Texas’ most vulnerable children,” said Senator Miles. “Currently, the state has reporting requirements for teachers, nurses, day-care employees and juvenile probation officers; but a loophole remained for support staff who are employed by DFPS and TJJD but are not licensed by the state.”

SB 182 will require employees and contractors of DFPS and TJJD to report criminal offenses committed by fellow employees and contractors against those receiving services from DFPS and TJJD to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

“We need to close the loophole and protect the most vulnerable who are receiving care from DFPS and TJJD,” said Senator Miles. “We need to ensure that another incident like the one that occurred at The Refuge never happens again.”

SB 182 was voted out of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee 7-0 and will now be eligible for passage by the full Senate.

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