Enrolled Bill Summary

            Senate Bill 996 amends the Family Code to require the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services to request that the parents of a child for whom it has been appointed managing conservator and who dies in foster care pay reasonable and necessary burial expenses for the child. The act does not apply to foster parents. The department is authorized to request that if the parents have an insurance policy or a bank account for the child, the parents spend the proceeds from the policy or money in the account on the burial expenses. If the parents cannot pay all or part of the burial expenses, the department must spend funds appropriated for the child protective services program to pay reasonable and necessary expenses. The department is authorized to accept contributions to cover the costs of the burial expenses.