H.B. No. 3137

AN ACT

relating to requiring the Department of Family and Protective Services to develop and provide certain foster parents with a statement regarding the rights and responsibilities of those persons and the agency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 42, Human Resources Code, is amended by adding Section 42.0452 to read as follows:

Sec. 42.0452. FOSTER PARENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES STATEMENT. (a) The department shall develop a statement that lists the rights and responsibilities of a foster parent in a foster home or an agency foster home and of the department or a child-placing agency, as applicable.

(b) The department shall provide a written copy of the statement developed under Subsection (a) to each foster parent in a foster home and to each child-placing agency licensed by the department. A child-placing agency shall provide a written copy of the statement developed under Subsection (a) to each foster parent in an agency foster home verified by the child-placing agency.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2009.

______________________________ ______________________________

President of the Senate Speaker of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 3137 was passed by the House on May 6, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 136, Nays 1, 1 present, not voting.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 3137 was passed by the Senate on May 21, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.

______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: _____________________

Date

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Governor