BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 596 89R3578 AMF-D By: West Health & Human Services 3/21/2025 As Filed AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT Currently, the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) collects and publishes limited information on parent child safety placements and removals under Texas Family Code, Chapter 35. With only limited information about these types of removals collected and published, policymakers and child welfare advocates are left without knowing the true number of children the state's child welfare system has come in contact with, or how those cases were resolved. S.B. 596 will broaden detailed reporting requirements for DFPS removals as it concerns the outcomes of suits filed by DFPS, parental-child safety agreements, and authorization agreements in order to better identify, contextualize, and address the pattern of racial disproportionality observed in these aspects of DFPS removals. As it pertains to suits filed by the department, S.B. 596 will require DFPS to account suit outcomes and involved forms of temporary child placements in their annualized county statistics report, creating a backdrop from which to test the veracity of suits filed and typological equitability of temporary removals. As it concerns monthly DFPS reporting requirements for parental-child safety agreements, S.B. 596 will require the DFPS account of removals to include the child's age, gender, ethnicity, race, family income, and prior DFPS engagement as to outline particular cross sections of the population more likely to be removed. As proposed, S.B. 596 amends current law relating to reporting certain information regarding the placement of children and suits filed by the Department of Family and Protective Services. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Sections 264.017(b) and (f), Family Code, as follows: (b) Requires that the report required by Subsection (a) (relating to a report, organized by county, that includes key child protection performance measures and data) include, with respect to the preceding year, certain information including information on the outcome of each suit filed by DFPS and the type of placement of the child during the pendency of the suit. Makes nonsubstantive changes. (f) Requires DFPS, in addition to the other reports required by Section 264.017 (Required Reporting), to publish on DFPS's Internet website a monthly report containing the following information for the preceding month: (1) with respect to parental child safety placement agreements: (A) the number of children placed under a parental child safety placement agreement, disaggregated by: (i) the child's age, race, gender, ethnicity, and county of residence; (ii) the annualized incomes of the parent or other person with whom the child resides and the caregiver of the child; and (iii) whether the child has previously been in the managing conservatorship of DFPS; (B) the number of parental child safety placement agreements in effect on the last day of the month; and (C)-(E) redesignates existing Subdivisions (2)-(4) as Paragraphs (C)-(E); and (2) by child protective services region with respect to: (A) authorization agreements executed under Chapter 34 (Authorization Agreement for Nonparent Adult Caregiver) regarding a child who is the subject of an investigation of abuse or neglect, a suit filed by DFPS, or an agreement under which DFPS provides services to the child's parent the number of authorization agreements executed, the number of children subject to authorization agreements, disaggregated by the child's race and gender, the average duration of an authorization agreement; and (B) court orders for temporary authorization for care of a child under Chapter 35 (Temporary Authorization for Care of Minor Child) regarding a child who is the subject of an investigation of abuse or neglect, a suit filed by DFPS, or an agreement under which DFPS provides services to the child's parent: the number of orders signed, the number of children subject to orders, disaggregated by the child's race and gender, and the average duration of an order. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2025.
BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 596
89R3578 AMF-D By: West
Health & Human Services
3/21/2025
As Filed
Senate Research Center
S.B. 596
89R3578 AMF-D
By: West
Health & Human Services
3/21/2025
As Filed
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Currently, the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) collects and publishes limited information on parent child safety placements and removals under Texas Family Code, Chapter 35.
With only limited information about these types of removals collected and published, policymakers and child welfare advocates are left without knowing the true number of children the state's child welfare system has come in contact with, or how those cases were resolved.
S.B. 596 will broaden detailed reporting requirements for DFPS removals as it concerns the outcomes of suits filed by DFPS, parental-child safety agreements, and authorization agreements in order to better identify, contextualize, and address the pattern of racial disproportionality observed in these aspects of DFPS removals.
As it pertains to suits filed by the department, S.B. 596 will require DFPS to account suit outcomes and involved forms of temporary child placements in their annualized county statistics report, creating a backdrop from which to test the veracity of suits filed and typological equitability of temporary removals.
As it concerns monthly DFPS reporting requirements for parental-child safety agreements, S.B. 596 will require the DFPS account of removals to include the child's age, gender, ethnicity, race, family income, and prior DFPS engagement as to outline particular cross sections of the population more likely to be removed.
As proposed, S.B. 596 amends current law relating to reporting certain information regarding the placement of children and suits filed by the Department of Family and Protective Services.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Sections 264.017(b) and (f), Family Code, as follows:
(b) Requires that the report required by Subsection (a) (relating to a report, organized by county, that includes key child protection performance measures and data) include, with respect to the preceding year, certain information including information on the outcome of each suit filed by DFPS and the type of placement of the child during the pendency of the suit. Makes nonsubstantive changes.
(f) Requires DFPS, in addition to the other reports required by Section 264.017 (Required Reporting), to publish on DFPS's Internet website a monthly report containing the following information for the preceding month:
(1) with respect to parental child safety placement agreements:
(A) the number of children placed under a parental child safety placement agreement, disaggregated by:
(i) the child's age, race, gender, ethnicity, and county of residence;
(ii) the annualized incomes of the parent or other person with whom the child resides and the caregiver of the child; and
(iii) whether the child has previously been in the managing conservatorship of DFPS;
(B) the number of parental child safety placement agreements in effect on the last day of the month; and
(C)-(E) redesignates existing Subdivisions (2)-(4) as Paragraphs (C)-(E); and
(2) by child protective services region with respect to:
(A) authorization agreements executed under Chapter 34 (Authorization Agreement for Nonparent Adult Caregiver) regarding a child who is the subject of an investigation of abuse or neglect, a suit filed by DFPS, or an agreement under which DFPS provides services to the child's parent the number of authorization agreements executed, the number of children subject to authorization agreements, disaggregated by the child's race and gender, the average duration of an authorization agreement; and
(B) court orders for temporary authorization for care of a child under Chapter 35 (Temporary Authorization for Care of Minor Child) regarding a child who is the subject of an investigation of abuse or neglect, a suit filed by DFPS, or an agreement under which DFPS provides services to the child's parent: the number of orders signed, the number of children subject to orders, disaggregated by the child's race and gender, and the average duration of an order.
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2025.