Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3941 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R14929 DNC-D
2	2	By: Hunter H.B. No. 3941
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to services provided to foster youth transitioning to
10	10	independent living, including transitional living services and
11	11	Medicaid eligibility.
12	12	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	13	SECTION 1. Section 264.121(a), Family Code, is amended to
14	14	read as follows:
15	15	(a) The department shall address the unique challenges
16	16	facing foster children in the conservatorship of the department who
17	17	must transition to independent living by:
18	18	(1) expanding efforts to improve transition planning
19	19	and increasing the availability of transitional family group
20	20	decision-making to all youth age 14 or older in the department's
21	21	permanent managing conservatorship, including enrolling the youth
22	22	in the Preparation for Adult Living Program before the age of 16;
23	23	(2) coordinating with the commission to obtain
24	24	authority, to the extent allowed by federal law, the state Medicaid
25	25	plan, the Title IV-E state plan, and any waiver or amendment to
26	26	either plan, necessary to:
27	27	(A) extend foster care eligibility [and
28	28	transition services for youth] up to age 23 [21] and develop policy
29	29	to permit eligible youth to return to foster care as necessary to
30	30	achieve the goals of the Transitional Living Services Program;
31	31	[and]
32	32	(B) extend transition services for youth up to
33	33	age 23 and develop policy to permit eligible youth who have exited
34	34	foster care to continue to participate in the Transitional Living
35	35	Services Program as necessary to achieve the goals of the program;
36	36	and
37	37	(C) extend Medicaid coverage for foster care
38	38	youth and former foster care youth up to age 23 as authorized by
39	39	Section 32.02475, Human Resources Code, [21] with a single
40	40	application at the time the youth leaves foster care;
41	41	(3) entering into cooperative agreements with the
42	42	Texas Workforce Commission and local workforce development boards
43	43	to further the objectives of the Preparation for Adult Living
44	44	Program. The department, the Texas Workforce Commission, and the
45	45	local workforce development boards shall ensure that services are
46	46	prioritized and targeted to meet the needs of foster care and former
47	47	foster care children and that such services will include, where
48	48	feasible, referrals for short-term stays for youth needing housing;
49	49	(4) addressing barriers to participation in the
50	50	Preparation for Adult Living Program for a youth who has a
51	51	disability by making appropriate accommodations that allow the
52	52	youth to meaningfully participate in the program; and
53	53	(5) documenting in the youth's case file any
54	54	accommodations made under Subdivision (4).
55	55	SECTION 2. Section 264.121(b)(3), Family Code, is amended
56	56	to read as follows:
57	57	(3) "Transitional Living Services Program" means a
58	58	program, administered by the department in accordance with
59	59	department rules and state and federal law, for youth who are age 14
60	60	or older but not more than 23 [21] years of age and are currently or
61	61	were formerly in foster care, that assists youth in transitioning
62	62	from foster care to independent living. The program provides
63	63	transitional living services, Preparation for Adult Living Program
64	64	services, and Education and Training Voucher Program services.
65	65	SECTION 3. Section 264.121(c), Family Code, is amended to
66	66	read as follows:
67	67	(c) At the time a child enters the Preparation for Adult
68	68	Living Program, the department shall provide an information booklet
69	69	to the child and the foster parent describing the program and the
70	70	benefits available to the child, including extended Medicaid
71	71	coverage until age 23 [21], priority status with the Texas
72	72	Workforce Commission, and the exemption from the payment of tuition
73	73	and fees at institutions of higher education as defined by Section
74	74	61.003, Education Code. The information booklet provided to the
75	75	child and the foster parent shall be provided in the primary
76	76	language spoken by that individual.
77	77	SECTION 4. Section 264.121(f), Family Code, is amended to
78	78	read as follows:
79	79	(f) The department shall require a person with whom the
80	80	department contracts for transitional living services for foster
81	81	youth to provide or assist youth in obtaining:
82	82	(1) housing services;
83	83	(2) job training and employment services;
84	84	(3) college preparation services;
85	85	(4) services that will assist youth in obtaining a
86	86	general education development certificate;
87	87	(5) services that will assist youth in developing
88	88	skills in food preparation;
89	89	(6) nutrition education that promotes healthy food
90	90	choices;
91	91	(7) a savings or checking account if the youth is at
92	92	least 18 years of age and has a source of income;
93	93	(8) mental health services;
94	94	(9) financial literacy education and civic engagement
95	95	lessons required under Subsection (a-2); [and]
96	96	(10) for youth who are regularly attending an
97	97	institution of higher education or a postsecondary vocational or
98	98	technical program, financial support for on-campus or off-campus
99	99	housing and utilities; and
100	100	(11) any other appropriate transitional living
101	101	service identified by the department.
102	102	SECTION 5. Subchapter B, Chapter 32, Human Resources Code,
103	103	is amended by adding Section 32.02475 to read as follows:
104	104	Sec. 32.02475. MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR CERTAIN FORMER FOSTER
105	105	CARE YOUTH. (a) Notwithstanding Sections 32.0247 and 32.02471,
106	106	the commission shall provide medical assistance to a former foster
107	107	care youth regardless of the youth's income, assets, or resources
108	108	if the youth:
109	109	(1) is younger than 26 years of age;
110	110	(2) was in the conservatorship of the Department of
111	111	Family and Protective Services; and
112	112	(3) meets eligibility criteria established under
113	113	federal and state law.
114	114	(b) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules necessary
115	115	to implement this section.
116	116	SECTION 6. If before implementing Section 32.02475, Human
117	117	Resources Code, as added by this Act, a state agency determines that
118	118	any other waiver or authorization from a federal agency is
119	119	necessary for implementation of that provision, the agency affected
120	120	by the provision shall request the waiver or authorization and may
121	121	delay implementing that provision until the waiver or authorization
122	122	is granted.
123	123	SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.