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Enacted Older Youth Legislation in Texas
Parent Child Relationship
Bill: HB 1151, Chap. 1118; Status: Enacted
Summary: Extends adoption assistance to a childŐs adoptive parents after age 18 and until age 21. Establishes that the department shall include training in trauma-informed programs and services in any training the department provides to foster parents, adoptive parents, kinship caregivers, and department caseworkers. The department shall pay for the training provided under this section with gifts, donations, and grants and any federal money available through the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008. Extends foster care payments after a youth is age 18 until age 22. Develops the permanency care assistance program which will provide for the reimbursement of the nonrecurring expenses a kinship provider incurs in obtaining permanent managing conservatorship of a foster child; the program must conform to the requirements for federal assistance as required by the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008.
Sponsored by Representative Thompson
Extended Jurisdiction After Child's 18th Birthday
Bill: HB 704, Chap. 96; Status: Enacted
Summary: Adds a section to the Family Code establishing extended jurisdiction over a foster youth, if the youth requests it, after the youthŐs 18th birthday. Allows a court to conduct placement review hearings for a child in the managing conservatorship of the state after the child's 18th birthday until the child's 21st birthday.
Sponsored by Representative Rose
Child Abuse
Bill: SB 2080, Chap. 1238; Status: Enacted
Summary: Develops the permanency care assistance program which authorizes foster care payments for relative caregivers who meet the eligibility criteria under federal and state law and department rule. Permanency care assistance may be extended after age 18 and until age 21 if the original agreement was first entered after the youth was age 16. Extends adoption assistance to a childŐs adoptive parents after age 18 and until age 21 if the original adoption assistance agreement was first entered after the youth was age 16. Allows the department to continue to pay the cost of foster care after a youth is age 18 until age 22.
Sponsored by Senator Uresti
