88R18717 BDP-D
By: Bailes, Rose, Harris of Anderson H.B. No. 637
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the payment of permanency care assistance after a
child's 18th birthday.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 264.852, Family Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
(e) A permanency care assistance agreement shall provide
for permanency care assistance payments until the later of:
(1) the last day of the month of the child's 18th
birthday; or
(2) if the child is regularly attending high school or
enrolled in a program leading toward a high school diploma or high
school equivalency certificate, the last day of the month in which
the child graduates from high school or completes a program leading
toward a high school diploma or high school equivalency
certificate.
SECTION 2. The heading to Section 264.855, Family Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 264.855. CONTINUED ELIGIBILITY FOR PERMANENCY CARE
ASSISTANCE BENEFITS UNTIL [AFTER] AGE 21 [18].
SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies to a
permanency care assistance agreement entered into on or after the
effective date of this Act. A permanency care assistance agreement
entered into before the effective date of this Act is governed by
the law in effect on the date the agreement was entered into, and
the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.