Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2040 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R9026 MLH-D
2	2	By: Hancock S.B. No. 2040
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the establishment of the Texas Adoption Assistance
10	10	Program.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Chapter 162, Family Code, is amended by adding
13	13	Subchapter I to read as follows:
14	14	SUBCHAPTER I. TEXAS ADOPTION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
15	15	Sec. 162.751. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
16	16	(1) "Adoption assistance grant" means a Texas Adoption
17	17	Assistance Program grant awarded under Section 162.755.
18	18	(2) "Comptroller" means the comptroller of public
19	19	accounts.
20	20	(3) "Eligible parent" means a parent who meets the
21	21	requirements of Section 162.753.
22	22	(4) "Program" means the Texas Adoption Assistance
23	23	Program established under this subchapter.
24	24	Sec. 162.752. PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION;
25	25	PURPOSE. The comptroller shall establish and administer the Texas
26	26	Adoption Assistance Program for the purpose of encouraging the
27	27	adoption of Texas children by providing adoptive parents with
28	28	assistance with adoption-related expenses.
29	29	Sec. 162.753. ELIGIBILITY OF PARENTS. A person is eligible
30	30	for an adoption assistance grant under the program if the person:
31	31	(1) resides in this state on the date the adoption
32	32	assistance grant is awarded;
33	33	(2) is an adoptive parent under an adoption granted
34	34	under Section 162.016 of a child who:
35	35	(A) is younger than 18 years of age on September 1
36	36	of the state fiscal year in which the adoption assistance grant is
37	37	awarded;
38	38	(B) resided in this state as part of this state's
39	39	foster care system; and
40	40	(C) is not the biological child of the adoptive
41	41	parent's spouse;
42	42	(3) applies for a grant under Section 162.755 not
43	43	later than the first anniversary of the date the adoption under
44	44	Section 162.016 is granted; and
45	45	(4) has an annual gross household income that is not
46	46	more than $250,000.
47	47	Sec. 162.754. MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF GRANT. (a) The maximum
48	48	amount of an adoption assistance grant is:
49	49	(1) for an eligible parent or parents with an annual
50	50	gross household income of not more than $100,000, an amount equal to
51	51	50 percent of the amount of any adoption-related expenses incurred
52	52	by the parent or parents;
53	53	(2) for an eligible parent or parents with an annual
54	54	gross household income of more than $100,000 and not more than
55	55	$150,000, an amount equal to 40 percent of the amount of any
56	56	adoption-related expenses incurred by the parent or parents;
57	57	(3) for an eligible parent or parents with an annual
58	58	gross household income of more than $150,000 and not more than
59	59	$200,000, an amount equal to 25 percent of the amount of any
60	60	adoption-related expenses incurred by the parent or parents; and
61	61	(4) for an eligible parent or parents with an annual
62	62	gross household income of more than $200,000 and not more than
63	63	$250,000, an amount equal to 10 percent of the amount of any
64	64	adoption-related expenses incurred by the parent or parents.
65	65	(b) For purposes of this section, adoption-related expenses
66	66	are expenses incurred by the parent or parents for:
67	67	(1) legal fees for adoption paperwork;
68	68	(2) hiring legal representation;
69	69	(3) a home study under Section 264.207;
70	70	(4) adoption advertisements;
71	71	(5) adoption fees;
72	72	(6) medical expenses of the birth mother;
73	73	(7) case management; or
74	74	(8) communication support, in the case of an open
75	75	adoption.
76	76	Sec. 162.755. APPLICATION; AWARD OF GRANTS. Each state
77	77	fiscal year, the comptroller shall award under the program a number
78	78	of one-time adoption assistance grants, as determined by the
79	79	comptroller based on available funds, to eligible parents who apply
80	80	to the comptroller in the manner prescribed by comptroller rule.
81	81	Sec. 162.756. COLLABORATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES. (a) The
82	82	comptroller shall collaborate with the Health and Human Services
83	83	Commission and the Department of Family and Protective Services to
84	84	promote the program to families, adoption agencies, hospitals,
85	85	faith-based organizations, and other applicable stakeholders.
86	86	(b) The Department of Family and Protective Services shall
87	87	provide information about the program in adoption materials and in
88	88	meetings with prospective adoptive parents.
89	89	Sec. 162.757. RULES; PROCEDURES. (a) The comptroller
90	90	shall adopt rules and procedures to implement and administer this
91	91	subchapter, including rules for:
92	92	(1) the application process; and
93	93	(2) the process for documenting expenses made under
94	94	the program.
95	95	(b) The Health and Human Services Commission and the
96	96	Department of Family and Protective Services may adopt rules to
97	97	assist the comptroller in administering the program.
98	98	Sec. 162.758. REPORT. (a) Not later than December 1, 2026,
99	99	the comptroller, in consultation with the Health and Human Services
100	100	Commission and the Department of Family and Protective Services,
101	101	shall submit to the legislature a report on the outcomes and status
102	102	of the program. The report must include any recommendations for
103	103	future needs of the program.
104	104	(b) This section expires January 1, 2027.
105	105	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.