88R30492 MLH-F
 
  By: West, et al. S.B. No. 2591
 
  (Shaheen)
 
  Substitute the following for S.B. No. 2591:  No.
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the appointment of the Department of Family and
  Protective Services and a child's parent or legal guardian as joint
  managing conservators for the child.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 262.352, Family Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (b) to read as follows:
         (b)  A court shall enter an order appointing the department
  and the child's parent or legal guardian as joint managing
  conservators of the child if the court finds sufficient evidence to
  satisfy a person of ordinary prudence and caution that the child's
  parent or legal guardian has:
               (1)  exhausted all reasonable means available to the
  parent or legal guardian to obtain mental health services to meet
  the child's needs; and
               (2)  agreed to actively participate in the child's
  service plan in preparation for the child's return to the parent or
  legal guardian.
         SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to a suit affecting the parent-child relationship filed on or after
  the effective date of this Act. A suit affecting the parent-child
  relationship filed before the effective date of this Act is
  governed by the law in effect on the date the suit was filed, and the
  former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.