| 1 | 1 | | By: Schoolcraft H.B. No. 1320 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | relating to membership on county Child Welfare Boards in certain |
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| 9 | 9 | | counties. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. - TEXAS FAMILY CODE |
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| 12 | 12 | | Texas Family Code Sec. 264.005 is amended to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | 264.005 COUNTY CHILD WELFARE BOARDS. |
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| 14 | 14 | | (a) The commissioners court of a county may appoint a child |
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| 15 | 15 | | welfare board for the county. The commissioners court and the |
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| 16 | 16 | | department shall determine the size of the board and the |
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| 17 | 17 | | qualifications of its members. However, a board must have not less |
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| 18 | 18 | | than seven and not more than 15 members,.and tThe members must be |
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| 19 | 19 | | residents of the county, except in counties with a population less |
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| 20 | 20 | | than 500,000 no more than one-third of the members may be residents |
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| 21 | 21 | | of contiguous counties. The members shall serve at the pleasure of |
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| 22 | 22 | | the commissioners court and may be removed by the court for just |
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| 23 | 23 | | cause. The members serve without compensation. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (b) With the approval of the department, two or more counties may |
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| 25 | 25 | | establish a joint child welfare board if that action is found to be |
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| 26 | 26 | | more practical in accomplishing the purposes of this chapter. A |
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| 27 | 27 | | board representing more than one county has the same powers as a |
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| 28 | 28 | | board representing a single county and is subject to the same |
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| 29 | 29 | | conditions and liabilities. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (c) The members of a county child welfare board shall select a |
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| 31 | 31 | | presiding officer and shall perform the duties required by the |
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| 32 | 32 | | commissioners court and the department to accomplish the purposes |
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| 33 | 33 | | of this chapter. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (d) A county child welfare board is an entity of the department for |
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| 35 | 35 | | purposes of providing coordinated state and local public welfare |
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| 36 | 36 | | services for children and their families and for the coordinated |
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| 37 | 37 | | use of federal, state, and local funds for these services. The |
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| 38 | 38 | | child welfare board shall work with the commissioners court. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (e) A county child welfare board is a governmental unit for the |
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| 40 | 40 | | purposes of Chapter 101, Civil Practice and Remedies Code. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (f) A county child protective services board member may receive |
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| 42 | 42 | | information that is confidential under Section 40.005, Human |
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| 43 | 43 | | Resources Code, or Section 261.201 when the board member is acting |
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| 44 | 44 | | in the member's official capacity. |
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| 45 | 45 | | (g) A child welfare board may conduct a closed meeting under |
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| 46 | 46 | | Section 551.101, Government Code, to discuss, consider, or act on a |
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| 47 | 47 | | matter that is confidential under Section 40.005, Human Resources |
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| 48 | 48 | | Code, or Section 261.201. |
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| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 50 | 50 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 51 | 51 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 52 | 52 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 53 | 53 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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