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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the payment of permanency care assistance after a |
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child's 18th birthday. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 264.852, Family Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: |
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(e) A permanency care assistance agreement shall provide |
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for permanency care assistance payments until the last day of the |
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month of the child's 18th birthday. The department may continue to |
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provide permanency care assistance payments after the month in |
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which the child attains the age of 18 as long as the child is |
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regularly attending high school or enrolled in a program leading |
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toward a high school diploma or high school equivalency |
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certificate. |
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SECTION 2. The heading to Section 264.855, Family Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 264.855. CONTINUED ELIGIBILITY FOR PERMANENCY CARE |
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ASSISTANCE BENEFITS UNTIL [AFTER] AGE 21 [18]. |
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SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies to a |
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permanency care assistance agreement entered into on or after the |
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effective date of this Act. A permanency care assistance agreement |
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entered into before the effective date of this Act is governed by |
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the law in effect on the date the agreement was entered into, and |
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the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |