BILL ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 215 By: Guillen Human Services Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, relatives and designated caregivers of children in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) are not authorized to receive child support for a child placed in their care. Therefore, these caregivers are not receiving the same financial assistance to which a parent or guardian would otherwise be entitled. C.S.H.B. 215 seeks to alleviate the financial burden on relatives or other designated caregivers of children placed by DFPS by making these caregivers eligible to receive support and benefits on behalf of a child placed in their care. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 215 amends the Family Code to make a relative or other designated caregiver eligible to receive support and benefits, including monthly benefits, on behalf of a child placed with the person by the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). The bill requires DFPS to pass through to the relative or other designated caregiver the following: any support rights attributable to the child; and payments to which the child is entitled or that are paid for the benefit of the child, including Supplemental Security Income benefits. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025. COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE While C.S.H.B. 215 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill. The substitute includes a specification absent from the introduced that the benefits a relative or other designated caregiver is eligible to receive on behalf of a child include monthly benefits. The substitute revises provisions of the introduced relating to a relative's or other designated caregiver's receipt of support rights and benefit payments in the following manner: whereas the introduced required DFPS to facilitate the assignment to the applicable caregiver of any support rights attributable to the child, the substitute requires DFPS to pass through to the applicable caregiver any such rights; and whereas the introduced required DFPS to facilitate the designation of the applicable caregiver as the representative payee for any programs, services, and payments to which the child is entitled or that are paid for the benefit of the child, the substitute requires DFPS to pass through to the applicable caregiver payments to which the child is entitled or that are paid for the benefit of the child.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 215
By: Guillen
Human Services
Committee Report (Substituted)
C.S.H.B. 215
By: Guillen
Human Services
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, relatives and designated caregivers of children in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) are not authorized to receive child support for a child placed in their care. Therefore, these caregivers are not receiving the same financial assistance to which a parent or guardian would otherwise be entitled. C.S.H.B. 215 seeks to alleviate the financial burden on relatives or other designated caregivers of children placed by DFPS by making these caregivers eligible to receive support and benefits on behalf of a child placed in their care.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 215 amends the Family Code to make a relative or other designated caregiver eligible to receive support and benefits, including monthly benefits, on behalf of a child placed with the person by the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). The bill requires DFPS to pass through to the relative or other designated caregiver the following: any support rights attributable to the child; and payments to which the child is entitled or that are paid for the benefit of the child, including Supplemental Security Income benefits.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE While C.S.H.B. 215 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill. The substitute includes a specification absent from the introduced that the benefits a relative or other designated caregiver is eligible to receive on behalf of a child include monthly benefits. The substitute revises provisions of the introduced relating to a relative's or other designated caregiver's receipt of support rights and benefit payments in the following manner: whereas the introduced required DFPS to facilitate the assignment to the applicable caregiver of any support rights attributable to the child, the substitute requires DFPS to pass through to the applicable caregiver any such rights; and whereas the introduced required DFPS to facilitate the designation of the applicable caregiver as the representative payee for any programs, services, and payments to which the child is entitled or that are paid for the benefit of the child, the substitute requires DFPS to pass through to the applicable caregiver payments to which the child is entitled or that are paid for the benefit of the child.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Under current law, relatives and designated caregivers of children in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) are not authorized to receive child support for a child placed in their care. Therefore, these caregivers are not receiving the same financial assistance to which a parent or guardian would otherwise be entitled. C.S.H.B. 215 seeks to alleviate the financial burden on relatives or other designated caregivers of children placed by DFPS by making these caregivers eligible to receive support and benefits on behalf of a child placed in their care.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 215 amends the Family Code to make a relative or other designated caregiver eligible to receive support and benefits, including monthly benefits, on behalf of a child placed with the person by the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). The bill requires DFPS to pass through to the relative or other designated caregiver the following:
any support rights attributable to the child; and
payments to which the child is entitled or that are paid for the benefit of the child, including Supplemental Security Income benefits.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2025.
COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE
While C.S.H.B. 215 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.
The substitute includes a specification absent from the introduced that the benefits a relative or other designated caregiver is eligible to receive on behalf of a child include monthly benefits.
The substitute revises provisions of the introduced relating to a relative's or other designated caregiver's receipt of support rights and benefit payments in the following manner:
whereas the introduced required DFPS to facilitate the assignment to the applicable caregiver of any support rights attributable to the child, the substitute requires DFPS to pass through to the applicable caregiver any such rights; and
whereas the introduced required DFPS to facilitate the designation of the applicable caregiver as the representative payee for any programs, services, and payments to which the child is entitled or that are paid for the benefit of the child, the substitute requires DFPS to pass through to the applicable caregiver payments to which the child is entitled or that are paid for the benefit of the child.