SRC-TJG S.B. 246 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 246
78R614 SMJ-DBy: Averitt
Health & Human Services
3/10/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, there is only one facility in Texas that provides residential
care for children with severe mental ailments whose parents cannot afford
to pay for treatment.  For those parents who cannot afford treatment and
who cannot get their children into this center, the only way to access
state-sponsored residential mental health care for their children is to
relinquish custody to the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory
Services or to the Texas Juvenile Justice System.  Therapeutic foster
homes provide short-term treatment and transitional assistance to children
who will eventually return to their homes.  As proposed, S.B. 246 provides
temporary community-based therapeutic foster care for certain children. 

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.  Amends Section 534.053, Health and Safety Code, to create a
new Subsection (a) which defines "therapeutic foster care."  Includes
therapeutic foster care for a child for whom the parent-child relationship
has not been terminated in the list of services to be provided in each
service area.  Redesignates Subsections (a)-(c) as (b)-(d).  Makes
conforming and nonsubstantive changes. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 2003.