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.