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