Bill > SB224

This bill modifies the Texas Family Code by adding a new provision that prevents child-placing agencies from imposing additional requirements on relative or designated caregivers beyond those already established by state law or rules set by the Department of Health and Human Services Commission. A child-placing agency refers to an organization responsible for facilitating foster care placements and related services. Currently, such agencies might have their own internal requirements for relatives or designated caregivers seeking to provide care for children, but this legislation would limit those requirements to only those explicitly defined by existing legal statutes or official government regulations. The bill is set to take effect on September 1, 2025, which gives agencies and potential caregivers advance notice of the upcoming change. The purpose appears to be reducing bureaucratic barriers for family members or close contacts who are willing to provide care for children in need of placement, potentially making it easier for children to be placed with relatives or known caregivers.

Health and Social Services

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=SB224