Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB327 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R3683 MLH-F
2	2	By: Middleton S.B. No. 327
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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 162.759.
18	18	(2) "Certified organization" means an organization
19	19	certified under Section 162.753.
20	20	(3) "Eligible parent" means a parent who meets the
21	21	requirements of Section 162.757.
22	22	(4) "Program money" means money required to be
23	23	distributed as provided by Section 162.755(a)(5)(A).
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	private sector and public assistance with adoption-related
29	29	expenses.
30	30	Sec. 162.753. CERTIFICATION OF ORGANIZATIONS;
31	31	PARTICIPATION IN PROGRAM. (a) The comptroller shall select and
32	32	certify organizations that meet the eligibility requirements of
33	33	Section 162.754 to participate in the Texas Adoption Assistance
34	34	Program.
35	35	(b) A certified organization may solicit and accept
36	36	donations and award adoption assistance grants in this state under
37	37	the conditions and limitations provided by this subchapter.
38	38	(c) The comptroller shall solicit applications and select
39	39	and approve new certified organizations on an ongoing basis to meet
40	40	the needs in this state.
41	41	Sec. 162.754. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR ORGANIZATIONS
42	42	APPLYING FOR CERTIFICATION. (a) An organization may apply to the
43	43	comptroller for certification under Section 162.753.
44	44	(b) An organization is eligible for certification by the
45	45	comptroller only if:
46	46	(1) the organization is exempt from federal tax under
47	47	Section 501(a), Internal Revenue Code of 1986, by being listed as an
48	48	exempt organization in Section 501(c)(3) of that code and meeting
49	49	all other applicable requirements for that exemption;
50	50	(2) the organization's mission includes providing
51	51	services or other assistance to families, women, or children; and
52	52	(3) the organization agrees to, if certified:
53	53	(A) in partnership with the state, assist
54	54	eligible parents with the payment of adoption-related expenses; and
55	55	(B) be independently audited on an annual basis
56	56	and file the audit report with the comptroller.
57	57	Sec. 162.755. REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFIED ORGANIZATION. (a)
58	58	A certified organization shall:
59	59	(1) comply at all times with the eligibility
60	60	requirements under Section 162.754(b);
61	61	(2) submit to an annual independent audit under
62	62	guidelines provided by the comptroller and file the audit report
63	63	with the comptroller;
64	64	(3) distribute all program money in the manner
65	65	provided by Section 162.759;
66	66	(4) give each donor a receipt for money donated to the
67	67	certified organization that includes the name of the certified
68	68	organization, the name of the donor, the amount of the donation, and
69	69	any other information required by the comptroller; and
70	70	(5) of the amount of money received from donations
71	71	made by donors for the purpose of providing adoption assistance
72	72	grants:
73	73	(A) distribute not less than 97 percent in the
74	74	form of adoption assistance grants; and
75	75	(B) use not more than three percent to pay
76	76	expenses of operating the organization.
77	77	(b) A certified organization may not provide adoption
78	78	assistance grants in a manner that does not comply with Section
79	79	162.759.
80	80	Sec. 162.756. REVOCATION OF CERTIFICATION. The comptroller
81	81	shall revoke a certification under Section 162.753 if the
82	82	comptroller finds that a certified organization:
83	83	(1) is not in compliance with the requirements of
84	84	Section 162.755; or
85	85	(2) otherwise intentionally and substantially
86	86	violates this subchapter.
87	87	Sec. 162.757. ELIGIBILITY OF PARENTS. A person is eligible
88	88	for an adoption assistance grant if the person:
89	89	(1) resides in this state on the date the adoption
90	90	assistance grant is awarded;
91	91	(2) is an adoptive parent under an adoption order
92	92	granted under Section 162.016 of a child who is younger than 18
93	93	years old on September 1 of the state fiscal year in which the
94	94	adoption assistance grant is awarded; and
95	95	(3) has an annual gross household income that is not
96	96	more than $150,000.
97	97	Sec. 162.758. MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF GRANT. The maximum amount
98	98	of an adoption assistance grant is:
99	99	(1) for an eligible parent or parents with an annual
100	100	gross household income of not more than $110,000, an amount equal to
101	101	50 percent of the amount of any adoption-related expenses incurred
102	102	by the parent or parents;
103	103	(2) for an eligible parent or parents with an annual
104	104	gross household income of more than $110,000 and not more than
105	105	$130,000, an amount equal to 30 percent of the amount of any
106	106	adoption-related expenses incurred by the parent or parents; and
107	107	(3) for an eligible parent or parents with an annual
108	108	gross household income of more than $130,000 and not more than
109	109	$150,000, an amount equal to 10 percent of the amount of any
110	110	adoption-related expenses incurred by the parent or parents.
111	111	Sec. 162.759. APPLICATION; AWARD OF GRANTS. Each state
112	112	fiscal year, a certified organization shall award a number of
113	113	one-time adoption assistance grants, as determined by the
114	114	organization based on available funds, to eligible parents who
115	115	apply to the comptroller in the manner prescribed by comptroller
116	116	rule.
117	117	Sec. 162.760. STATE MATCHING FUNDS. A certified
118	118	organization that provides money for an adoption assistance grant
119	119	under this subchapter is entitled to state matching funds to be used
120	120	by the certified organization as additional money for the grant
121	121	award. If the comptroller determines that the amount appropriated
122	122	to the comptroller for a state fiscal year is not sufficient to
123	123	match all grants awarded under this subchapter, the comptroller
124	124	shall continue to perform the comptroller's other duties under this
125	125	subchapter without matching grants awarded by a certified
126	126	organization.
127	127	Sec. 162.761. RULES; PROCEDURES. The comptroller shall
128	128	adopt rules and procedures to implement, administer, and enforce
129	129	this subchapter.
130	130	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.