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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to communicating the foster children's bill of rights to a |
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child and a process for reporting violations to the Department of |
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Family and Protective Services. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 263.008(c) and (g), Family Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(c) The department shall provide a written copy of the |
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foster children's bill of rights to each child placed in foster care |
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in the child's primary language, if possible, and shall inform the |
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child of the rights described by the foster children's bill of |
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rights: |
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(1) orally in the child's primary language, if |
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possible, and in simple, nontechnical terms that are |
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developmentally appropriate and can reasonably be expected to |
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result in successful communication with the child based on the |
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child's age and development; [or] |
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(2) in writing in a manner that is developmentally |
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appropriate and utilizes language in a manner that can reasonably |
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be expected to result in successful communication with the child |
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based on the child's age and development; or |
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(3) for a child who has a disability, including an |
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impairment of vision or hearing, through any means that can |
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reasonably be expected to result in successful communication with |
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the child. |
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(g) The department shall develop and implement a policy for |
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receiving and handling reports that the rights of a child in foster |
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care are not being observed. The department shall inform a child in |
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foster care and, if appropriate, the child's parent, managing |
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conservator, or guardian of the method for filing a report with the |
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department under this subsection. Information provided to a child |
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under this subsection must be communicated orally and in writing in |
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a manner that is developmentally appropriate for each child and can |
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reasonably be expected to result in successful communication with |
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the child based on the child's age and development. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |