| 1 | 1 | | 89R14611 DNC-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Miles S.B. No. 2286 |
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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 the creation of an oversight advisory council on foster |
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| 10 | 10 | | care placement. |
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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 B, Chapter 40, Human Resources Code, |
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| 13 | 13 | | is amended by adding Section 40.029 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 40.029. OVERSIGHT ADVISORY COUNCIL ON FOSTER CARE |
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| 15 | 15 | | PLACEMENT. (a) In this section, "oversight advisory council" |
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| 16 | 16 | | means the oversight advisory council on foster care placement |
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| 17 | 17 | | established under this section. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) The oversight advisory council on foster care placement |
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| 19 | 19 | | is established to advise the department on foster care placements |
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| 20 | 20 | | and review complaints regarding the foster care placement of |
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| 21 | 21 | | children in the conservatorship of the department. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (c) The oversight advisory council is composed of seven |
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| 23 | 23 | | members as follows: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (1) five members appointed by the governor, including: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (A) one member who represents a religious |
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| 26 | 26 | | organization; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (B) one member who represents a law enforcement |
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| 28 | 28 | | agency; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (C) one member who is a foster care parent; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (D) two members who represent the foster care |
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| 31 | 31 | | community; |
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| 32 | 32 | | (2) one member who represents the foster care |
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| 33 | 33 | | community, appointed by the lieutenant governor; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | (3) one member who represents the foster care |
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| 35 | 35 | | community, appointed by the speaker of the house of |
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| 36 | 36 | | representatives. |
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| 37 | 37 | | (d) Members of the oversight advisory council serve |
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| 38 | 38 | | staggered four-year terms, with the terms of one-half of the |
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| 39 | 39 | | members, or as near to one-half as possible, expiring on February 1 |
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| 40 | 40 | | of each odd-numbered year. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (e) The members of the oversight advisory council serve |
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| 42 | 42 | | without compensation and may not be reimbursed for travel expenses |
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| 43 | 43 | | incurred while conducting the business of the council. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (f) The members of the oversight advisory council shall |
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| 45 | 45 | | select from among the members a presiding officer of the council. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (g) The oversight advisory council shall meet at least twice |
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| 47 | 47 | | each year at the call of the presiding officer. |
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| 48 | 48 | | (h) The oversight advisory council shall review the |
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| 49 | 49 | | department's foster care placement system and complaints submitted |
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| 50 | 50 | | to the department or the Health and Human Services Commission |
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| 51 | 51 | | regarding the foster care placement of children in the |
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| 52 | 52 | | conservatorship of the department. |
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| 53 | 53 | | (i) The department and the Health and Human Services |
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| 54 | 54 | | Commission shall provide to the oversight advisory council |
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| 55 | 55 | | information, including relevant testimony, on the foster care |
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| 56 | 56 | | placement system and on complaints filed with the department or |
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| 57 | 57 | | commission regarding the foster care placement of children in the |
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| 58 | 58 | | conservatorship of the department. |
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| 59 | 59 | | (j) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year, |
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| 60 | 60 | | the oversight advisory council shall prepare and submit to the |
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| 61 | 61 | | department, the Health and Human Services Commission, and the |
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| 62 | 62 | | standing committees of each house of the legislature with primary |
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| 63 | 63 | | jurisdiction over foster care: |
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| 64 | 64 | | (1) a written report summarizing the council's |
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| 65 | 65 | | determinations about the foster care placement system and the |
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| 66 | 66 | | complaints reviewed regarding foster care placement; and |
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| 67 | 67 | | (2) any recommendations for legislation or other |
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| 68 | 68 | | action. |
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| 69 | 69 | | (k) Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the |
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| 70 | 70 | | oversight advisory council. |
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| 71 | 71 | | SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2025, the governor, |
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| 72 | 72 | | lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives |
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| 73 | 73 | | shall appoint the initial members of the oversight advisory council |
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| 74 | 74 | | on foster care placement as required by Section 40.029, Human |
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| 75 | 75 | | Resources Code, as added by this Act, to staggered terms with the |
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| 76 | 76 | | terms of three members expiring February 1, 2027, and the terms of |
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| 77 | 77 | | four members expiring February 1, 2029. |
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| 78 | 78 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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