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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of the Supported Independent Living |
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Program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 264, Family Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 264.133 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 264.133. SUPPORTED INDEPENDENT LIVING PROGRAM. The |
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department shall establish the supported independent living |
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program to assist young adults interested in transitioning to |
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voluntary extended foster care by: |
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(1) providing the young adult with an independent |
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living placement that includes case management and support services |
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with limited supervision; and |
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(2) assisting the young adult with becoming |
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self-sufficient through: |
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(A) achieving identified educational and |
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employment goals; |
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(B) accessing community resources; |
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(C) receiving training in life skills; and |
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(D) establishing important relationships. |
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SECTION 2. Section 264.121(i), Family Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(i) The department shall ensure that the transition plan for |
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each youth 16 years of age or older includes provisions to assist |
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the youth in managing the youth's housing needs after the youth |
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leaves foster care, including provisions that: |
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(1) identify the cost of housing in relation to the |
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youth's sources of income, including any benefits or rental |
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assistance available to the youth; |
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(2) if the youth's housing goals include residing with |
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family or friends, state that the department has addressed the |
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following with the youth: |
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(A) the length of time the youth expects to stay |
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in the housing arrangement; |
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(B) expectations for the youth regarding paying |
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rent and meeting other household obligations; |
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(C) the youth's psychological and emotional |
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needs, as applicable; and |
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(D) any potential conflicts with other household |
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members, or any difficulties connected to the type of housing the |
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youth is seeking, that may arise based on the youth's psychological |
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and emotional needs; |
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(3) inform the youth about emergency shelters and |
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housing resources, including supported [supervised] independent |
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living and housing at colleges and universities, such as |
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dormitories; |
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(4) require the department to review a common rental |
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application with the youth and ensure that the youth possesses all |
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of the documentation required to obtain rental housing; and |
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(5) identify any individuals who are able to serve as |
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cosigners or references on the youth's applications for housing. |
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SECTION 3. Sections 264.1214(a) and (f), Family Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) For a youth who will voluntarily enter extended foster |
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care on the youth's 18th birthday, the youth's caseworker shall, not |
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later than six months before the youth's 18th birthday, complete |
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any necessary transitional living or supported [supervised] |
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independent living paperwork to ensure the youth has housing on the |
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date the youth enters extended foster care. Not later than the 90th |
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day before the youth's 18th birthday, the caseworker shall review |
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the qualifications and requirements for the youth's housing. |
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(f) The department shall assist a youth living in a |
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supported [supervised] independent living program arrangement to |
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develop a rental history by allowing the youth to cosign the lease |
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for the youth's housing provided the property owner does not |
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object. |
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SECTION 4. Section 411.114(a)(3), Government Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(3) In addition to the criminal history record |
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information the Department of Family and Protective Services or the |
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Health and Human Services Commission is required to obtain under |
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Subdivision (2), the Department of Family and Protective Services |
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or the Health and Human Services Commission, as applicable, is |
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entitled to obtain criminal history record information as provided |
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by Subdivision (4) that relates to a person who is: |
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(A) an applicant for a position with the |
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Department of Family and Protective Services or the Health and |
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Human Services Commission regardless of the duties of the position, |
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including a position described by Subdivision (2)(D); |
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(B) a Department of Family and Protective |
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Services employee or a Health and Human Services Commission |
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employee regardless of the duties of the employee's position, |
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including an employee described by Subdivision (2)(H); |
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(C) a volunteer or applicant volunteer with the |
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Department of Family and Protective Services or the Health and |
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Human Services Commission regardless of the duties to be performed, |
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including a registered volunteer; |
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(D) an employee of, an applicant for employment |
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with, or a volunteer or an applicant volunteer with an entity or |
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person who contracts with the Department of Family and Protective |
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Services or the Health and Human Services Commission, as |
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applicable, and has access to confidential information in that |
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department's or commission's records, if the employee, applicant, |
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volunteer, or applicant volunteer has or will have access to that |
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confidential information; |
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(E) a person living in the residence in which the |
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alleged victim of the report resides, including an alleged |
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perpetrator in a report described by Subdivision (2)(I); |
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(F) a person providing, at the request of the |
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child's parent, in-home care for a child who is the subject of a |
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report alleging the child has been abused or neglected; |
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(G) a person providing, at the request of the |
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child's parent, in-home care for a child only if the person gives |
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written consent to the release and disclosure of the information; |
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(H) a child who is related to the caretaker, as |
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determined under Section 42.002, Human Resources Code, or any other |
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person who resides in, is present in, or has unsupervised access to |
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a child in the care of a facility or family home; |
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(I) a relative of a child in the care of the |
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Department of Family and Protective Services or the Health and |
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Human Services Commission, as applicable, to the extent necessary |
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to comply with Section 162.007, Family Code; |
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(J) a person providing or applying to provide |
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in-home, adoptive, or foster care for children to the extent |
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necessary to comply with Subchapter B, Chapter 162, Family Code; |
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(K) a person who volunteers to supervise |
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visitation under Subchapter B, Chapter 263, Family Code; |
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(L) an employee of or volunteer at, or an |
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applicant for employment with or to be a volunteer at, an entity |
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that provides supported [supervised] independent living services |
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to a young adult receiving extended foster care services from the |
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Department of Family and Protective Services or the Health and |
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Human Services Commission, as applicable; |
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(M) a person 14 years of age or older who will be |
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regularly or frequently working or staying in a host home that is |
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providing supported [supervised] independent living services to a |
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young adult receiving extended foster care services from the |
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Department of Family and Protective Services or the Health and |
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Human Services Commission, as applicable; |
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(N) a volunteer or applicant volunteer with a |
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local affiliate in this state of Big Brothers Big Sisters of |
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America; |
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(O) a volunteer or applicant volunteer with an |
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organization that provides court-appointed volunteer advocates for |
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abused or neglected children; or |
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(P) an employee, volunteer, or applicant |
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volunteer of a children's advocacy center under Subchapter E, |
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Chapter 264, Family Code, including a member of the governing board |
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of a center. |
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SECTION 5. Section 40.081(a), Human Resources Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) In furtherance of department duties under Section |
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40.002(d), the department shall to the greatest extent possible |
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develop capacity for placement settings that are eligible for |
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federal financial participation under 42 U.S.C. Section 672, |
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including settings: |
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(1) specializing in providing prenatal, postpartum, |
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or parenting support for youth; |
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(2) providing high-quality residential care and |
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supportive services to children and youth who this state has |
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reasonable cause to believe are, or who are at risk of being, sex |
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trafficking victims in accordance with 42 U.S.C. Section |
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671(a)(9)(C); |
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(3) providing supported [supervised] independent |
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living for young adults; |
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(4) offering residential family-based substance abuse |
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treatment as described by 42 U.S.C. Section 672(j); and |
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(5) serving as a qualified residential treatment |
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program. |
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SECTION 6. Not later than January 1, 2026, the Department of |
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Family and Protective Services shall change any informational |
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materials related to the supervised independent living program to |
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reflect the supported independent living program name. |
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SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |