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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the collection of information concerning the number of |
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juvenile offenders committed to the Texas Juvenile Justice |
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Department who have been in foster care. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 243, Human Resources Code, |
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is amended by adding Section 243.008 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 243.008. INFORMATION CONCERNING FOSTER CARE HISTORY. |
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(a) In this section, "foster care" means the placement of a child |
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in the conservatorship of a state agency responsible for providing |
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child protective services. |
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(b) The department, during the admission process, shall |
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determine whether a child committed to the department has at any |
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time been in foster care. The department shall record the following |
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on the child's intake form: |
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(1) whether the child is currently in foster care; and |
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(2) if applicable, the number of times the child has |
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previously been placed in foster care. |
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(c) Not later than January 31 of each even-numbered year, |
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the department shall submit a report to the governor, the |
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lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, |
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and each standing committee having primary jurisdiction over the |
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department. The report must summarize statistical information |
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concerning the total number and percentage of children in the |
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custody of the department during the preceding two years who have at |
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any time been in foster care. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |