| 1 | 1 | | 89R15557 AMF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: West S.B. No. 1918 |
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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 a relative and kinship care grant program administered |
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| 10 | 10 | | by the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 72, Government Code, is |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended by adding Section 72.03951 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 72.03951. RELATIVE AND KINSHIP CARE GRANT PROGRAM. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (a) Using funds appropriated or otherwise available for the |
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| 16 | 16 | | purpose, the office shall develop and administer a program to |
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| 17 | 17 | | provide grants to eligible nonprofit organizations that provide |
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| 18 | 18 | | legal assistance related to assuming care of a child to |
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| 19 | 19 | | individuals: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) who are relative or kinship caregivers of the |
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| 21 | 21 | | child; and |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) whose incomes are at or below 400 percent of the |
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| 23 | 23 | | federal poverty level. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (b) Legal assistance under Subsection (a) includes advice, |
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| 25 | 25 | | consultation, or assistance that relates to: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (1) consent to treatment of a child by a nonparent |
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| 27 | 27 | | under Chapter 32, Family Code; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (2) authorization agreements for nonparent adult |
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| 29 | 29 | | caregivers of a child under Chapter 34, Family Code; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (3) temporary authorizations for care of a minor child |
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| 31 | 31 | | under Chapter 35, Family Code; |
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| 32 | 32 | | (4) suits affecting the parent-child relationship |
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| 33 | 33 | | under Title 5, Family Code; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | (5) any other legal documentation or proceedings |
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| 35 | 35 | | related to assuming care of a child. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (c) The office may award a grant under this section only in |
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| 37 | 37 | | accordance with a contract between the office and the recipient |
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| 38 | 38 | | that includes provisions under which the office is granted |
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| 39 | 39 | | sufficient control to ensure the public purpose of providing legal |
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| 40 | 40 | | assistance to relative or kinship caregivers is accomplished and |
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| 41 | 41 | | this state receives the return benefit. |
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| 42 | 42 | | (d) The office may accept gifts, grants, and donations for |
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| 43 | 43 | | the purposes of the grant program established under this section. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (e) The office may adopt rules to administer the grant |
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| 45 | 45 | | program established under this section, including rules that |
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| 46 | 46 | | establish: |
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| 47 | 47 | | (1) eligibility criteria for grant applications; |
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| 48 | 48 | | (2) grant application procedures; |
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| 49 | 49 | | (3) guidelines related to grant amounts; |
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| 50 | 50 | | (4) procedures for evaluating grant applications; and |
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| 51 | 51 | | (5) procedures for monitoring the use of a grant |
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| 52 | 52 | | awarded under the program and ensuring compliance with any |
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| 53 | 53 | | condition of the grant. |
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| 54 | 54 | | SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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| 55 | 55 | | of this Act, the Office of Court Administration of the Texas |
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| 56 | 56 | | Judicial System shall adopt the rules necessary to implement |
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| 57 | 57 | | Section 72.03951, Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 58 | 58 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 59 | 59 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 60 | 60 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 61 | 61 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 62 | 62 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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