BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 4466

By: Hickland

Public Health

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The bill author has informed the committee that child welfare boards support the caseworkers in their community with the funds needed to obtain certified copies of birth certificates for children under the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) and in certain child protection suits. The bill author has further informed the committee that these boards work directly with DFPS to fill in the gaps and provide funds for caseworkers to obtain the required birth certificates. C.S.H.B. 4466 seeks to support child welfare boards and counties by making certified copies of birth records available free of charge to a board if the record is requested in relation to a child protection suit that is filed by a governmental entity.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 4466 amends the Health and Safety Code to require the state registrar, a local registrar, or a county clerk, on request of a county or a child welfare board appointed by the county commissioners court, to issue without a fee a certified copy of a birth record to the county or board if the request is related to a child protection suit filed by a governmental entity.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.

COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 4466 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

Both the introduced and substitute require the state registrar, on request of a county, to issue without a fee a certified copy of a birth record to the county if the request is related to a child protection suit filed by a governmental entity, however the substitute differs in the following way:

· makes a local registrar, or a county clerk, subject to the requirement; and

· provides that the request be made by a child welfare board appointed by the county commissioners court, as an alternative to a request made by a county.