| 1 | 1 | | By: Carona S.B. No. 1402 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (Kolkhorst) |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to access to records and certain information in those |
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| 8 | 8 | | records regarding a child placed for adoption. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 162.006, Family Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 11 | | amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as |
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| 12 | 12 | | follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (a) The department, licensed child-placing agency, or other |
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| 14 | 14 | | person[, or entity] placing a child for adoption shall inform the |
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| 15 | 15 | | prospective adoptive parents of their right to examine the records |
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| 16 | 16 | | and other information relating to the history of the child. The |
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| 17 | 17 | | department, licensed child-placing agency, or other person [or |
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| 18 | 18 | | entity] placing the child for adoption shall edit the records and |
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| 19 | 19 | | information to protect the identity of the biological parents and |
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| 20 | 20 | | any other person whose identity is confidential. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (a-1) The records described by Subsection (a) must include |
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| 22 | 22 | | any records relating to an investigation of abuse in which the child |
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| 23 | 23 | | was an alleged or confirmed victim of sexual abuse while residing in |
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| 24 | 24 | | a foster home or other residential child-care facility. If the |
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| 25 | 25 | | licensed child-placing agency or other person placing the child for |
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| 26 | 26 | | adoption does not have the information required by this subsection, |
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| 27 | 27 | | the department, at the request of the licensed child-placing agency |
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| 28 | 28 | | or other person placing the child for adoption, shall provide the |
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| 29 | 29 | | information to the prospective adoptive parents of the child. |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |
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