HBA-BSM H.B. 1634 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1634
By: King, Phil
Juvenile Justice & Family Issues
3/4/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Adoption can be a traumatic experience for birth parents.  Current law is
ambiguous as to whether or not counseling is an expense that adoptive
parents can pay for in assisting birth parents.  House Bill 1634 clarifies
that counseling is an expense adoptive parents can pay for birth parents. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1634 amends the Penal Code to exempt a reimbursement paid to a
child-placing agency and a fee paid to a social worker or mental health
professional in providing adoption counseling from provisions prohibiting
the offer, exchange, or acceptance of a thing of value within the process
of an adoption.  The bill also exempts a necessary pregnancy-related
expense paid by a child-placing agency for the benefit of the child's
parent during the pregnancy or after the birth of the child as permitted by
the minimum standards for child-placing agencies and Department of
Protective and Regulatory Services rules. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.