1-1           By:  Shapiro                                     S.B. No. 670

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 19, 1997; February 24, 1997,

 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Jurisprudence;

 1-4     March 4, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 7,

 1-5     Nays 0; March 4, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to adoption incentives for licensed child-placing

 1-9     agencies.

1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-11           SECTION 1.  Chapter 162, Family Code, is amended by adding

1-12     Subchapter G to read as follows:

1-13                   SUBCHAPTER G.  MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

1-14           Sec. 162.601.  INCENTIVES FOR LICENSED CHILD-PLACING

1-15     AGENCIES.  (a)  Subject to the availability of funds, the

1-16     Department of Protective and Regulatory Services shall pay, in

1-17     addition to any other amounts due, a monetary incentive to a

1-18     licensed child-placing agency for the completion of an adoption:

1-19                 (1)  of a child receiving or entitled to receive foster

1-20     care at department expense; and

1-21                 (2)  arranged with the assistance of the agency.

1-22           (b)  The incentive must equal 25 percent of the amount the

1-23     department would have spent to provide one year of foster care for

1-24     the child, determined according to the child's level of care at the

1-25     time the adoption is completed.

1-26           (c)  For purposes of this section, an adoption is completed

1-27     on the date on which the court issues the adoption order.

1-28           SECTION 2.  This Act applies to an adoption that becomes

1-29     final on or after the effective date of this Act.  For purposes of

1-30     this section, an adoption becomes final on the date the court

1-31     issues the adoption order.

1-32           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-33           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-34     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-35     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-36     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-37     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

1-38                                  * * * * *