Texas Occupations Code 555.007 – General Rules Regarding Complaint Investigation and Disposition
(a) The board shall adopt policies and procedures concerning the investigation of a complaint filed with the board. The policies and procedures must:
(1) determine the seriousness of the complaint;
(2) ensure that a complaint is not closed without appropriate consideration;
(3) ensure that a letter is sent to the person who filed the complaint explaining the action taken on the complaint;
(4) ensure that the person who filed the complaint has an opportunity to explain the allegations made in the complaint;
(5) prescribe guidelines concerning the types of complaints that require the use of a private investigator and the procedures for the board to obtain the services of a private investigator; and
(6) allow appropriate employees of the board to dismiss a complaint if an investigation shows that:
(A) no violation occurred; or
(B) the subject of the complaint is outside the board’s jurisdiction.
(b) The board shall:
(1) dispose of a complaint in a timely manner; and
(2) establish a schedule for conducting each phase of the investigation or disposition that is under the control of the board.
Terms Used In Texas Occupations Code 555.007
- Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
(c) At each public meeting of the board, the executive director shall report to the board each complaint dismissed under Subsection (a)(6) since the board’s last public meeting.
(d) The board may not consider or act on a complaint involving a violation alleged to have occurred more than seven years before the date the complaint is received by the board.