SECTION 341.200. Administration

(a) Local Juvenile Probation Services Administration.

(1) For each autonomous juvenile probation department, the juvenile board must employ a chief administrative officer who meets the standards set forth in Chapter 344 of this title.

(2) When probation services for adult and juvenile offenders are provided by a single probation office, the juvenile board must ensure that the juvenile probation department's policies, programs, and procedures are clearly differentiated.

(b) Referral Ratio. The juvenile probation department must employ at least one certified juvenile probation officer for each 100 formal referrals made to the juvenile probation department annually.

(c) Participation in Community Resource Coordination Groups. A person designated by the juvenile board must participate in the system of community resource coordination groups pursuant to Section 531.055, Government Code.

(d) Notice of Complaint Procedures. The juvenile board must ensure the English and Spanish signs provided by TJJD relating to complaint procedures are posted in a public area of:

(1) the juvenile probation department; and

(2) any facility operated by the juvenile board or by a private entity through a contract with the juvenile board.

(e) Research Studies and Experimentation.

(1) The juvenile board must establish a policy that prohibits participation by juveniles in research that employs an experimental design to test a medical, pharmaceutical, or cosmetic product or procedure.

(2) Participation by juveniles in any other kind of research is prohibited unless:

(A) the research study is approved in writing by the juvenile board or its designee; and

(B) the juvenile board has established policies that:

(i) govern all authorized research studies;

(ii) prohibit studies that involve medically invasive procedures; and

(iii) adhere to all federal requirements governing human subjects and confidentiality.

(3) If the juvenile board authorizes a board member or staff member to approve research studies on behalf of the board, the authorization must be in writing.

(4) Approved research studies must adhere to all applicable policies of the authorizing juvenile board.

(5) Before a research study approved by the juvenile board begins, the research study must be reported to TJJD in a format prescribed by TJJD.

(6) Results of a completed study must be made available to TJJD upon request.

(f) Alternative Referral Plans. If a juvenile board adopts an alternative referral plan under Section 53.01(d), Family Code, the board must ensure the most recent version of the plan is submitted to the TJJD general counsel.

Source Note: The provisions of this §341.200 adopted to be effective January 1, 2017, 41 TexReg 5433; amended to be effective May 1, 2023, 48 TexReg 1961