Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas House Bill HB2225 Compare Versions

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Old	New	Differences
1	1	H.B. No. 2225
2	2
3	3
4	4	AN ACT
5	5	relating to creating a committee to review the process for finding
6	6	permanent placements for children in the conservatorship of the
7	7	state.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. (a) The Department of Family and Protective
10	10	Services, in conjunction with the adoption review committee
11	11	described by Subsection (b) of this section, shall conduct an
12	12	extensive review of the foster care system to:
13	13	(1) identify obstacles that impede the department's
14	14	ability to find a permanent placement for foster children,
15	15	including placement by adoption; and
16	16	(2) develop ways to improve the foster care system by:
17	17	(A) reducing the time a child is in the
18	18	conservatorship of the department before being permanently placed;
19	19	(B) reducing the number of children in the
20	20	conservatorship of the department who are placed outside of their
21	21	home county; and
22	22	(C) enhancing the procedures for adopting foster
23	23	children.
24	24	(b) The adoption review committee is composed of the
25	25	following nine members:
26	26	(1) four members appointed by the executive
27	27	commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission as
28	28	follows:
29	29	(A) an employee of the Department of Family and
30	30	Protective Services;
31	31	(B) a representative from a licensed
32	32	child-placing agency that provides adoption services;
33	33	(C) a representative from the Council on
34	34	Adoptable Children of Texas; and
35	35	(D) an attorney with expertise in handling
36	36	adoptions; and
37	37	(2) five members appointed by the governor who have
38	38	expertise in or a demonstrated commitment to adoption issues.
39	39	(c) The adoption review committee shall meet at least
40	40	quarterly.
41	41	(d) Not later than December 1, 2010, the Department of
42	42	Family and Protective Services shall submit a written report of the
43	43	results of the review conducted under Subsection (a) of this
44	44	section to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of
45	45	the house of representatives, the House Committee on Human
46	46	Services, and the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services.
47	47	The report must include:
48	48	(1) a summary of the findings of the review conducted
49	49	under Subsection (a) of this section;
50	50	(2) a summary of the obstacles identified in the
51	51	review that impede the department's ability to find permanent
52	52	placements for foster children;
53	53	(3) recommendations of actions the department should
54	54	take to eliminate the obstacles described by Subdivision (2) of
55	55	this subsection; and
56	56	(4) any legislative recommendations that would
57	57	improve the foster care system.
58	58	SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2009, the executive
59	59	commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission and the
60	60	governor shall appoint the members of the adoption review committee
61	61	and the adoption review committee shall begin performing its duties
62	62	as provided by this Act.
63	63	SECTION 3. The adoption review committee is abolished and
64	64	this Act expires September 1, 2011.
65	65	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
66	66	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
67	67	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
68	68	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
69	69	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
70	70	______________________________ ______________________________
71	71	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
72	72	I certify that H.B. No. 2225 was passed by the House on April
73	73	28, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 147, Nays 0, 1 present, not
74	74	voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
75	75	No. 2225 on May 25, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 145, Nays 0,
76	76	2 present, not voting.
77	77	______________________________
78	78	Chief Clerk of the House
79	79	I certify that H.B. No. 2225 was passed by the Senate, with
80	80	amendments, on May 21, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays
81	81	0.
82	82	______________________________
83	83	Secretary of the Senate
84	84	APPROVED: __________________
85	85	Date
86	86	__________________
87	87	Governor