BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 2809
	By: Rose; Thompson (Johnson)
	Health & Human Services
	5/2/2025
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

According to the 2022 Report on Suicide and Suicide Prevention by the Statewide Behavioral Health Coordinating Council, the foster youth population in Texas has a higher rate of suicide than the rest of the youth population. The suicide rate for Texas' foster youth population increased by 335 percent in the five-year period between 2017 through 2021. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a previous suicide attempt is one of the leading risk factors for death by suicide, and yet the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) does not maintain records of suicide attempts by foster youth.

Currently, the annual report produced by DFPS does not include suicide attempts by children in the state's managing conservatorship and is not required to report attempts to families within a given period. Adding these requirements would improve our understanding of the magnitude of the issue, improve health outcomes, and allow for effective prevention.

H.B. 2809 would require DFPS to include suicide attempts by children in its managing conservatorship in the annual report of child protection statistics and to provide notice to the parent of such a child who attempts suicide within a certain period. The annual report must be publicly accessible and published electronically by December 1st annually. Transparency into suicide attempt data can help the agency and the parents better understand risk factors and prevent any further attempts.

H.B. 2809 amends current law relating to required reporting by the Department of Family and Protective Services regarding youth in the managing conservatorship of the department who attempt suicide.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 264.017(b), Family Code. as follows:

(b) Requires the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to provide the report required by Subsection (a) (relating to requiring DFPS to prepare and disseminate a report of statistics by county relating to certain performance measures and data for child protection), to the legislature and to publish the report and make the report available electronically to the public not later than December 1, rather than February 1, of each year. Requires that the report include, with respect to the preceding year, certain information, including the number of children who attempted suicide while in the managing conservatorship of DFPS. Makes nonsubstantive changes.

SECTION 2. Amends Section 264.018(a)(4), Family Code, to redefine "significant change in medical condition."

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2025.