Relating to reimbursing employees of the Department of Family and Protective Services for loss of or damage to personal property.
Summary
HB 3748 authorizes the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to reimburse current or former DFPS employees for loss of or damage to personal property when that loss occurs in the course and scope of their duties. The bill does not require reimbursement in every case; it gives the department discretion to make such payments and specifies that the department must use existing resources to do so.
The measure is narrow in scope and is aimed at employees whose personal items may be damaged or lost while performing child welfare or related duties. It creates a new statutory provision in Chapter 40 of the Human Resources Code, adding Section 40.084, and takes effect September 1, 2025.
Impact
HB 3748 amends the Human Resources Code by adding a new section that expressly permits DFPS to reimburse employees, including former employees, for personal property losses or damage incurred during the performance of their job duties. The bill does not create a new dedicated funding source or mandate additional appropriations; instead, it directs the department to use existing resources. Its practical effect is to give DFPS a legal basis to compensate employees for work-related property losses that might otherwise not be reimbursable under current law.
Sentiment
The available legislative history suggests generally favorable support for the bill. It was reported favorably out of committee by an 8-0 vote, indicating unanimous committee approval, and there is no committee transcript showing substantive opposition or debate. The bill also advanced through the chamber with substantial support in recorded floor votes, though not unanimously, suggesting broad agreement on the underlying purpose.
Contention
There is little evidence of major controversy in the available record. The main policy consideration is whether DFPS should have discretion to reimburse employees for personal property losses and whether those reimbursements should be paid from existing resources rather than a separate appropriation. Any concern would likely center on fiscal limits, administrative discretion, and defining what losses qualify as occurring in the course and scope of duties, but no specific objections are reflected in the provided transcripts or vote summaries.
Relating to advisory bodies for the Department of Family and Protective Services, including the creation of the child protective investigations advisory committee and the abolition of the Family and Protective Services Council.
Increasing the reimbursement amount of money that the secretary of corrections may make to inmates for losses for personal injury or property damage or loss caused by negligence and requiring notice to the secretary for claims exceeding the reimbursement maximum.
Relating to the procedures for the removal of certain children in the managing conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services and monetary assistance provided by the Department of Family and Protective Services to certain relative or designated caregivers.
Relating to neglect of a child and the grounds for termination of the parent-child relationship and possession of a child by the Department of Family and Protective Services.
Relating to the liability of nonprofit entities contracted with the Department of Family and Protective Services or with a single source continuum contractor to provide community-based care or child welfare services.