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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to contracts to provide appropriate residential housing to |
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students in extended foster care who enroll at public institutions |
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of higher education. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter G, Chapter 263, Family Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 263.609 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 263.609. CONTRACTS WITH PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER |
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EDUCATION TO PROVIDE RESIDENTIAL HOUSING. (a) In this section, |
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"institution of higher education" has the meaning assigned by |
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Section 61.003, Education Code. |
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(b) The department and each institution of higher education |
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that provides residential housing to students enrolled at the |
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institution shall enter into a contract under which, for students |
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of the institution residing in that residential housing who are in |
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extended foster care, the institution agrees to serve as a |
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child-care institution, as defined by 42 U.S.C. Section 672(c), for |
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the purpose of providing housing in which those students are able to |
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live independently in a supervised setting in accordance with rules |
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adopted by the department pursuant to the Fostering Connections to |
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Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (Pub. L. No. 110-351). |
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SECTION 2. The Department of Family and Protective Services |
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shall enter into a contract with each public institution of higher |
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education subject to Section 263.609, Family Code, as added by this |
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Act, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act, |
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but not later than the 2024-2025 academic year. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |