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 * * * * *