| 1 | 1 | | 89R13603 MM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Guerra H.B. No. 3555 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the establishment of a donation registry by the |
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| 10 | 10 | | Department of Family and Protective Services for providing personal |
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| 11 | 11 | | items to children in the department's conservatorship. |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 264, Family Code, is |
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| 14 | 14 | | amended by adding Section 264.1079 to read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 264.1079. PERSONAL BELONGINGS FOR FOSTER CHILDREN |
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| 16 | 16 | | DONATION REGISTRY. (a) The department shall establish and |
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| 17 | 17 | | maintain or contract with a third party to establish and maintain an |
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| 18 | 18 | | online registry of requested personal items for children who enter |
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| 19 | 19 | | the department's conservatorship or change placement while in the |
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| 20 | 20 | | department's conservatorship. The department shall develop |
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| 21 | 21 | | procedures for the storage and distribution of personal items |
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| 22 | 22 | | donated based on the registry. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (b) The department shall provide personal items donated |
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| 24 | 24 | | based on the registry to a child who is being removed from the |
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| 25 | 25 | | child's home or changing placement. Personal items provided to a |
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| 26 | 26 | | child under this subsection belong to the child and may not be |
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| 27 | 27 | | reclaimed by the department or retained by the child's foster |
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| 28 | 28 | | parent. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (c) The department shall submit an annual report to the |
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| 30 | 30 | | legislature that includes a summary of: |
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| 31 | 31 | | (1) the department's supply inventory and inventory |
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| 32 | 32 | | management practices for personal items donated based on the |
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| 33 | 33 | | registry; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | (2) the number of children in the department's |
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| 35 | 35 | | conservatorship provided personal items in accordance with this |
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| 36 | 36 | | section. |
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| 37 | 37 | | (d) The department may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and |
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| 38 | 38 | | donations of any kind and from any source for purposes of this |
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| 39 | 39 | | section. |
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| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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