BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.S.B. 470

By: Kolkhorst

Human Services

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerns have been raised that a lack of monitoring and coordination between the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) and county child welfare boards may not provide the best service for children in foster care or ensure the most efficient use of state and local resources. C.S.S.B. 470 seeks to address these concerns by establishing certain financial reporting requirements and requiring DFPS to identify staff specifically responsible for duties involving collaboration with county child welfare boards.

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

C.S.S.B. 470 amends the Family Code to require the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to do the following:

·         identify staff to collaborate with county child welfare boards to coordinate efforts between DFPS and the boards in the provision of services and to maximize the resources of DFPS and each board; and

·         not later than November 1, 2019, create and make available on the DFPS website a standardized form for each board to report specified financial information.

The bill authorizes DFPS to collect publicly available financial information prepared by a board for distribution to the commissioners court.

C.S.S.B. 470 requires each board, not later than November 1 of each year, to report the required financial information on the form prescribed by the bill to DFPS and the commissioners court for the county or counties in which the board operates. The bill adds a temporary provision set to expire November 1, 2021, requiring each board to submit its initial report not later than January 1, 2020, notwithstanding the November 1 reporting date for subsequent reports.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF SENATE ENGROSSED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.S.B. 470 may differ from the engrossed in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the engrossed and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute specifies that the funds received and expended by each county child welfare board during its preceding fiscal year of which the board is required to report the amount and source on the DFPS website are public funds.