| 1 | 1 | | 85R2322 MK-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Wu H.B. No. 706 |
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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 monetary assistance for a relative or other designated |
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| 8 | 8 | | caregiver of children in foster care. |
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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 Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (f) to read |
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| 12 | 12 | | as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (a) The department shall[, subject to the availability of |
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| 14 | 14 | | funds,] enter into a caregiver assistance agreement with each |
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| 15 | 15 | | relative or other designated caregiver to provide monetary |
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| 16 | 16 | | assistance and additional support services to the caregiver. |
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| 17 | 17 | | Subject to Subsection (f), the [The] monetary assistance and |
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| 18 | 18 | | support services shall be based on a family's need, as determined by |
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| 19 | 19 | | rules adopted by the executive commissioner. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (b) Monetary assistance provided under this section must |
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| 21 | 21 | | include a one-time cash payment to the caregiver on the initial |
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| 22 | 22 | | placement of a child or a sibling group. The amount of the cash |
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| 23 | 23 | | payment, as determined by the department, may not exceed $2,000 |
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| 24 | 24 | | [$1,000] for each child. The payment for placement of a sibling |
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| 25 | 25 | | group must be at least $2,000 [$1,000] for the group, but may not |
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| 26 | 26 | | exceed $2,000 [$1,000] for each child in the group. The cash payment |
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| 27 | 27 | | must be provided not later than the 60th day after the date of [on] |
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| 28 | 28 | | the initial placement of each child with the caregiver and is |
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| 29 | 29 | | provided to assist the caregiver in purchasing essential child-care |
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| 30 | 30 | | items such as furniture and clothing. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (f) Monetary assistance paid to a relative or other |
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| 32 | 32 | | designated caregiver under a caregiver assistance agreement must be |
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| 33 | 33 | | paid at a daily rate that is equal to at least 50 percent of the |
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| 34 | 34 | | daily foster care reimbursement rate that the department would pay |
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| 35 | 35 | | for the child if the substitute care were provided in a foster home, |
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| 36 | 36 | | foster group home, agency foster home, or agency foster group home |
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| 37 | 37 | | licensed or certified under Chapter 42, Human Resources Code. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 2. Section 264.755, Family Code, as amended by this |
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| 39 | 39 | | Act, applies only to monetary assistance with respect to a child who |
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| 40 | 40 | | is initially placed with a relative or other designated caregiver |
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| 41 | 41 | | on or after the effective date of this Act. Monetary assistance |
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| 42 | 42 | | with respect to a child who is initially placed with a relative or |
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| 43 | 43 | | other designated caregiver before that date is governed by the law |
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| 44 | 44 | | in effect on the date of the initial placement, and the former law |
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| 45 | 45 | | is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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