| 1 | 1 | | 85R2818 AAF-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Watson S.B. No. 820 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | relating to leave for state employees who are foster parents or |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | prospective foster parents. |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 661.906, Government Code, is amended to |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | read as follows: |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 661.906. FOSTER PARENTS. (a) A state employee who is |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | a foster parent to a child under the conservatorship of the |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | Department of Family and Protective [and Regulatory] Services is |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | entitled to a leave of absence without a deduction in salary for the |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | purpose of attending: |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | (1) meetings held by the Department of Family and |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | Protective [and Regulatory] Services regarding the child under the |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | foster care of the employee; or |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | (2) an admission, review, and dismissal meeting held |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | by a school district regarding the child under the foster care of |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | the employee. |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | (b) A state employee who is a foster parent or who is in the |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | process of becoming a foster parent is entitled to leave without a |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | deduction in salary or loss of vacation time, sick leave, earned |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | overtime credit, or state compensatory time, in an amount not to |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | exceed 40 hours each year, to participate in training or other |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | activities related to becoming a foster parent and fostering a |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | child, including attending the foster child's medical appointments |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | and taking the foster child to court-ordered visitation with the |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | foster child's parent. The leave provided by this subsection is in |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | addition to the leave provided by Subsection (a). |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
|---|