Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB966 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	By: Toth H.B. No. 966
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6	6	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
7	7	AN ACT
8	8	relating to notice regarding certain benefits for which a
9	9	representative payee or fiduciary has been appointed for a child in
10	10	the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective
11	11	Services.
12	12	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	13	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 264, Family Code, is
14	14	amended by adding Section 264.0112 to read as follows:
15	15	Sec. 264.0112. NOTICE REGARDING CERTAIN BENEFITS FOR WHICH
16	16	DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN APPOINTED REPRESENTATIVE PAYEE OR FIDUCIARY FOR
17	17	CHILD. (a) In this section, "legal representative" means the
18	18	child's attorney, the child's attorney ad litem, or another
19	19	individual appointed by a court to represent the legal interests of
20	20	the child.
21	21	(b) For a child in the department's conservatorship who
22	22	receives or is eligible to receive benefits or services for which a
23	23	representative payee or fiduciary is required, the department shall
24	24	immediately provide notice to the child through the child's legal
25	25	representative regarding:
26	26	(1) any application for United States Department of
27	27	Veterans Affairs benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
28	28	benefits under 42 U.S.C. Section 1381 et seq., or Social Security
29	29	Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits under 42 U.S.C. Section 401 et
30	30	seq. made on the child's behalf;
31	31	(2) if the department serves as the representative
32	32	payee or in any other fiduciary capacity for the child, any
33	33	application to become representative payee for the child's United
34	34	States Department of Veterans Affairs benefits, Supplemental
35	35	Security Income (SSI) benefits under 42 U.S.C. Section 1381 et
36	36	seq., or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits under
37	37	42 U.S.C. Section 401 et seq.;
38	38	(3) any decisions or communications from the United
39	39	States Department of Veterans Affairs or the Social Security
40	40	Administration regarding an application described by Subdivision
41	41	(1); and
42	42	(4) any appeal or other action requested by the
43	43	department regarding an application for benefits described by
44	44	Subdivision (1).
45	45	(c) If the department serves as the representative payee or
46	46	otherwise receives United States Department of Veterans Affairs
47	47	benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits under 42
48	48	U.S.C. Section 1381 et seq., or Social Security Disability
49	49	Insurance (SSDI) benefits under 42 U.S.C. Section 401 et seq. on the
50	50	child's behalf, the department shall provide the following
51	51	information to the child through the child's legal representative
52	52	before each placement review hearing:
53	53	(1) the amount of benefit funds received on the child's
54	54	behalf since the most recent notification to the child's legal
55	55	representative and the date the benefits were received;
56	56	(2) information regarding the child's assets and
57	57	resources, including the child's benefits, insurance, cash assets,
58	58	trust accounts, earnings, and other resources;
59	59	(3) an accounting of the disbursement of benefit
60	60	funds, including the date, amount, and identification of the payee;
61	61	and
62	62	(4) information regarding each request by the court
63	63	appointed special advocate for the child, the child's legal
64	64	representative, or the child's caregiver for disbursement of funds
65	65	and a statement regarding the department's reason for not granting
66	66	the request if the request was not granted.
67	67	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.