By:  Shapiro                                           S.B. No. 670

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to adoption incentives for licensed child-placing

 1-2     agencies.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Chapter 162, Family Code, is amended by adding

 1-5     Subchapter G to read as follows:

 1-6                   SUBCHAPTER G.  MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

 1-7           Sec. 162.601.  INCENTIVES FOR LICENSED CHILD-PLACING

 1-8     AGENCIES.  (a)  Subject to the availability of funds, the

 1-9     Department of Protective and Regulatory Services shall pay, in

1-10     addition to any other amounts due, a monetary incentive to a

1-11     licensed child-placing agency for the completion of an adoption:

1-12                 (1)  of a child, as defined by Section 162.301,

1-13     receiving or entitled to receive foster care at department expense;

1-14     and

1-15                 (2)  arranged with the assistance of the agency.

1-16           (b)  The incentive must equal 25 percent of the amount the

1-17     department would have spent to provide one year of foster care for

1-18     the child, determined according to the child's level of care at the

1-19     time the adoption is completed.

1-20           (c)  For purposes of this section, an adoption is completed

1-21     on the date on which the court issues the adoption order.

1-22           SECTION 2.  This Act applies to an adoption that becomes

1-23     final on or after the effective date of this Act.  For purposes of

1-24     this section, an adoption becomes final on the date the court

 2-1     issues the adoption order.

 2-2           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 2-3           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-4     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-5     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-6     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-7     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.