BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1628
87R12529 MCK-D	By: Miles
	Health & Human Services
	4/6/2021
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Currently, entities providing foster care services for children, including child-placing agencies, agency foster homes, and others have no independent entity to complain to regarding any problems they are having with the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). The Foster Care Ombudsman (FCO) is an office for youth to report concerns with DFPS or their placement. The staff are employees of the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), independent of DFPS. They also report to the executive commissioner of HHSC, independent from HHSC regulatory services.

S.B. 1628 would designate the FCO as the office where foster care contracting entities could make complaints regarding DFPS.

As proposed, S.B. 1628 amends current law relating to the authority of the division of the ombudsman for children and youth in foster care.

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. Reenacts Section 531.9931, Government Code, as added by Chapter 906 (S.B. 213), Acts of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017, and amends it as follows:

Sec. 531.9931.� DIVISION OF OMBUDSMAN FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE. (a) Provides that the division of the ombudsman for children and youth in foster care is created within the office of the ombudsman for the Department of Family and Protective Services for certain purposes, including for receiving complaints from a person providing foster care services for children and youth, including child-placing agencies, agency foster homes, specialized child-care homes, general residential operations, cottage home operations, and continuum-of-care residential operations. Makes nonsubstantive changes.

(b)� Makes no changes to this subsection.

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2021.