BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 2583
	By: Kolkhorst
	Health & Human Services
	4/22/2025
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) lacks appropriate placement options for youth with significant behavioral health needs. Children without kinship or licensed placement often become children without placement (CWOP). During a CWOP event, a child or youth is without placement for at least two consecutive, uninterrupted nights in the care and custody of DFPS or community-based care caseworkers. These caseworkers may work shifts in addition to carrying a full caseload, and the youth are typically housed in hotel rooms while waiting for placement, an environment that is both inconsistent and nontherapeutic. While DFPS has made significant improvements in reducing the number of CWOP events, such youth need a stronger safety net solution. S.B. 2583 seeks to address this issue by providing for the authority to operate a residential treatment center for youth beyond the existing authority to operate the Waco Center for Youth, thus expanding residential treatment capacity and using vacant dedicated spaces on other campuses, as appropriate, to provide safety net placements for youth in state conservatorship.

As proposed, S.B. 2583 amends current law relating to residential treatment facilities for certain juveniles.

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 554.001(a), Health and Safety Code, as follows:

(a) Requires the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to designate facilities for use as residential treatment facilities for emotionally disturbed juveniles who meet certain criteria. Deletes existing text requiring DSHS to use the Waco Center for Youth (center) as a residential treatment facility for emotionally disturbed juveniles who meet certain criteria. Makes a conforming change.

SECTION 2. Amends Sections 554.002(a), (b), and (c), Health and Safety Code, as follows:

(a) Makes a conforming change to this subsection.

(b) Makes a conforming and nonsubstantive change to this subsection.

(c) Provides that a client of the center who is not a resident of the local school district, rather than the Waco Independent School District, is authorized to receive education services from the local school district only with the prior approval of the superintendent of the district. Makes a conforming change.

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2025.