BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1884

By: Minjarez

Human Services

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerns have been raised regarding the adequacy of information about the permanency care assistance program provided to certain relatives or other caregivers of a child in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services who is placed in the person's care. It has been suggested that better informing these caregivers of the benefits that may accrue if the relative or caregiver is verified by a licensed child-placing agency to operate an agency foster home could lead to a more positive and stable environment for an affected child. H.B. 1884 seeks to better inform those relatives and caregivers.

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. 1884 amends the Family Code to require the following actions with respect to information regarding the permanency care assistance program and the option of certain relatives or other caregivers of children in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to become verified by a licensed child-placing agency to operate an agency foster home, if applicable:

· inclusion of the information in the DFPS informational manuals for certain persons having custody of a child who is the subject of a child abuse or neglect investigation and for certain relative, designated, or voluntary caregivers;

· provision of the information by the court in a full adversary hearing or a status hearing in a child protection suit to the relative with whom the child is placed;

· review by the court at each permanency hearing in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship before or after a final order is rendered of DFPS efforts to provide the information to the relative of a child or other designated caregiver with whom the child is placed; and

· provision of the information by DFPS to the applicable caregiver once a child is placed with a relative or other designated caregiver and when a relative or other designated caregiver enters into a caregiver assistance agreement under the relative and other designated caregiver placement program.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.