| 1 | 1 | | By: West S.B. No. 1131 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to monetary assistance provided by the Department of |
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| 7 | 7 | | Family and Protective Services to certain relatives and designated |
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| 8 | 8 | | caregivers. |
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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 264.755, Family Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 11 | | amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (f) to read as |
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| 12 | 12 | | follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (b) Monetary assistance provided under this section must |
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| 14 | 14 | | include a one-time cash payment to the caregiver on the initial |
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| 15 | 15 | | placement of a child or a sibling group. The amount of the cash |
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| 16 | 16 | | payment, as determined by the department, may not exceed $1,000 for |
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| 17 | 17 | | each child. The payment for placement of a sibling group must be at |
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| 18 | 18 | | least $1,000 for the group, but may not exceed $1,000 for each child |
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| 19 | 19 | | in the group. The cash payment must be provided not later than the |
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| 20 | 20 | | 60th day after the date of [on] the initial placement of each child |
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| 21 | 21 | | with the caregiver and is provided to assist the caregiver in |
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| 22 | 22 | | purchasing essential child-care items such as furniture and |
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| 23 | 23 | | clothing. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (f) The department shall reimburse a relative or other |
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| 25 | 25 | | designated caregiver annually for expenses permitted under |
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| 26 | 26 | | Subsection (c)(6). The initial reimbursement shall occur no later |
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| 27 | 27 | | than six months after placement of a child or sibling group. |
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| 28 | 28 | | SECTION 2. (a) Section 264.755(b), Family Code, as amended |
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| 29 | 29 | | by this Act, applies only to monetary assistance with respect to a |
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| 30 | 30 | | child who is initially placed with a relative or other designated |
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| 31 | 31 | | caregiver on or after the effective date of this Act. Monetary |
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| 32 | 32 | | assistance with respect to a child who is initially placed with a |
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| 33 | 33 | | relative or other designated caregiver before that date is governed |
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| 34 | 34 | | by the law in effect on the date of the initial placement, and the |
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| 35 | 35 | | former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (b) Section 264.755(f), Family Code, as added by this Act, |
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| 37 | 37 | | applies only to the reimbursement of a relative or other designated |
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| 38 | 38 | | caregiver for expenses for which a completed request for |
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| 39 | 39 | | reimbursement is submitted to the Department of Family and |
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| 40 | 40 | | Protective Services on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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| 41 | 41 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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