| 2 | | - | (In the Senate - Filed March 10, 2025; March 24, 2025, read |
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| 3 | | - | first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence; May 1, 2025, |
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| 4 | | - | reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the |
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| 5 | | - | following vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 1, 2025, sent to printer.) |
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| 6 | | - | Click here to see the committee vote |
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| 7 | | - | COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 2165 By: Hughes |
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| 20 | | - | Sec. 263.4012. PROHIBITING DISMISSAL AND RETAINING |
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| 21 | | - | JURISDICTION WHEN CHILD IS MISSING. (a) Notwithstanding Section |
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| 22 | | - | 263.401, if the court finds the child is missing from the child's |
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| 23 | | - | substitute care provider, the court shall retain jurisdiction and |
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| 24 | | - | schedule a new dismissal date that is 180 days after the last |
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| 25 | | - | dismissal date. The court may not dismiss the case until the |
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| 26 | | - | earlier of the date the child is found or the date on which the child |
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| 27 | | - | would no longer be eligible to receive department services or |
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| 28 | | - | benefits. |
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| 29 | | - | (b) If the court retains jurisdiction under Subsection (a) |
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| 30 | | - | but does not commence the trial on the merits before the dismissal |
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| 31 | | - | date, the court's jurisdiction over the suit is terminated and the |
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| 32 | | - | suit is automatically dismissed without a court order. |
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| 15 | + | Sec. 263.4012. PROHIBITING DISMISSAL WHEN CHILD IS MISSING. |
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| 16 | + | Notwithstanding Section 263.401, the court shall retain |
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| 17 | + | jurisdiction and may not dismiss the suit as required by that |
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| 18 | + | section if the court finds the child is missing from the child's |
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| 19 | + | substitute care provider. |
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| 33 | 20 | | SECTION 2. Section 263.501(g), Family Code, is amended to |
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| 34 | 21 | | read as follows: |
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| 35 | 22 | | (g) Unless the child is adopted or permanent managing |
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| 36 | 23 | | conservatorship of the child is awarded to an individual other than |
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| 37 | 24 | | the department, a [A] court required to conduct permanency hearings |
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| 38 | 25 | | for a child for whom the department has been appointed permanent |
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| 39 | 26 | | managing conservator may not dismiss a suit affecting the |
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| 40 | 27 | | parent-child relationship filed by the department regarding the |
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| 41 | 28 | | child while the child is: |
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| 42 | 29 | | (1) committed to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department |
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| 43 | 30 | | or released under the supervision of the Texas Juvenile Justice |
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| 44 | 31 | | Department; or |
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| 45 | 32 | | (2) missing from the child's substitute care |
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| 46 | 33 | | provider[, unless the child is adopted or permanent managing |
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| 47 | 34 | | conservatorship of the child is awarded to an individual other than |
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| 48 | 35 | | the department]. |
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| 49 | 36 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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