Sec. 396.304. ADMINISTRATIVE INVESTIGATION OF COMPLAINT. (a) A person may file with the department a written complaint against a registered agency for a violation of this chapter.
(b) Not later than the 30th day after the date on which the department receives a complaint under this section, the department shall initiate an investigation into the merits of the complaint.
(c) The department may appoint a hearings officer to conduct the investigation.
(d) A hearings officer appointed by the department to investigate a complaint may arrange for the services of a qualified mediator and attempt to:
(1) resolve the complaint and any differences between the parties; and
(2) reach a settlement without the requirement of further investigation.
(e) The department may delegate to a hearings officer appointed to investigate a complaint under this section the authority to dismiss the complaint, after an initial investigation and after notice to each affected party and an opportunity for hearing, for lack of sufficient evidentiary basis.
(f) An individual aggrieved by a decision of the department or hearings officer under this section may appeal the decision to a district court in Travis County.
(g) The department shall provide for an annual public inspection of an investigation report of a complaint filed under this section.
Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1023, Sec. 73, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.
Last modified: September 28, 2016