By: Strama (Senate Sponsor - Nelson) H.B. No. 2111
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 6, 2013;
May 7, 2013, read first time and referred to Committee on Health
and Human Services; May 13, 2013, reported favorably by the
following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 13, 2013, sent to printer.)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the transitional living services program for certain
youth in foster care.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 264.121, Family Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (a-1) and (f) and adding Subsection (g) to
read as follows:
(a-1) The department shall require a foster care provider to
provide or assist youth who are age 14 or older in obtaining
experiential life-skills training to improve their transition to
independent living. Experiential life-skills training must be
tailored to a youth's skills and abilities and must [may] include
training in practical activities that include grocery shopping,
meal preparation and cooking, [using public transportation,]
performing basic household tasks, [and] balancing a checkbook, and,
when appropriate, using public transportation.
(f) The department shall require a person with whom the
department contracts for transitional living services for foster
youth to provide or assist youth in obtaining:
(1) housing services;
(2) job training and employment services;
(3) college preparation services;
(4) services that will assist youth in obtaining a
general education development certificate; [and]
(5) services that will assist youth in developing
skills in food preparation;
(6) nutrition education that promotes healthy food
choices; and
(7) [(5)] any other appropriate transitional living
service identified by the department.
(g) An entity with which the department contracts for
transitional living services for foster youth shall, when
appropriate, partner with a community-based organization to assist
the entity in providing the transitional living services.
SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
a person who enters into a contract with the Department of Family
and Protective Services to provide transitional living services for
foster youth on or after the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
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