BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 928

By: White

Human Services

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties indicate a general lack of awareness with the college application process as it relates to certain programs specifically tailored to assist students who are in foster care or have been adopted and who are eligible for tuition and fee waivers. H.B. 928 seeks to remedy this situation by facilitating the transition of these students to institutions of higher education through certain Department of Family and Protective Services collaborative efforts.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 928 amends the Family Code to require a Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) employee who is a member of a community resource coordination group established under Government Code provisions relating to a memorandum of understanding for coordinating services for persons needing multiagency services to inform the group about certain tuition and fee waivers for institutions of higher education that are available to eligible children in foster care and to eligible adopted children. The bill requires such a DFPS employee to collaborate with the superintendent of each school district in the area served by the group and each school counselor assigned to a campus in that area to identify foster children and adopted children who are eligible for those tuition and fee waivers. The bill requires the DFPS employee, after identifying such eligible children, to facilitate each child's transition to an institution of higher education by assisting the child with the completion of any applications for admission or for financial aid, arranging and accompanying the child on campus visits, assisting the child in researching and applying for private or institution-sponsored scholarships, identifying whether the child is a candidate for appointment to a military academy, and assisting the child in registering and preparing for college entrance examinations, including arranging for the payment of any examination fees by DFPS.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2017.