85R7594 MM-D
By: Watson S.B. No. 698
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to certain duties of the Department of Family and
Protective Services regarding parental child safety placements.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 264.904(d), Family Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(d) Before the department may close a case with a child
still living in a parental child safety placement, the department
must:
(1) determine and document in the case file that the
child can safely remain in the placement without the department's
supervision;
(2) obtain the written agreement of the parent or
person who made the parental child safety placement, if possible;
(3) obtain the caregiver's agreement in writing that
the child can continue living in the placement after the department
closes the case; [and]
(4) develop a written plan for the child's care after
the department closes the case;
(5) ensure that the parent or person who made the
parental child safety placement, if appropriate, and the caregiver
have:
(A) obtained any public benefits for which the
child qualifies;
(B) enrolled the child in school or made other
arrangements relating to the child's education;
(C) obtained health insurance for the child or
made other arrangements relating to the child's medical care;
(D) filed for or transferred to the caregiver any
child support, social security income, or public benefits being
paid on behalf of the child to the parent or other person who made
the parental child safety placement;
(E) obtained the following documents for the
child:
(i) the child's birth certificate;
(ii) a social security card or a
replacement social security card;
(iii) a driver's license or personal
identification card; and
(iv) any other personal document the
department determines appropriate; and
(F) obtained any other resources necessary to
care for the child; and
(6) assist the parent or person who made the parental
child safety placement, if appropriate, and the caregiver in
complying with requirements described by Subdivision (5).
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.