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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to leave for state employees who are foster parents or |
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prospective foster parents. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 661.906, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 661.906. FOSTER PARENTS. (a) A state employee who is |
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a foster parent to a child under the conservatorship of the |
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Department of Family and Protective [and Regulatory] Services is |
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entitled to a leave of absence without a deduction in salary for the |
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purpose of attending: |
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(1) meetings held by the Department of Family and |
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Protective [and Regulatory] Services regarding the child under the |
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foster care of the employee; or |
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(2) an admission, review, and dismissal meeting held |
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by a school district regarding the child under the foster care of |
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the employee. |
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(b) A state employee who is a foster parent or who is in the |
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process of becoming a foster parent is entitled to leave without a |
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deduction in salary or loss of vacation time, sick leave, earned |
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overtime credit, or state compensatory time, in an amount not to |
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exceed 40 hours each year, to participate in training or other |
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activities related to becoming a foster parent and fostering a |
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child, including attending the foster child's medical appointments |
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and taking the foster child to court-ordered visitation with the |
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foster child's parent. The leave provided by this subsection is in |
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addition to the leave provided by Subsection (a). |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |