HBA-KDB H.B. 714 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 714
By: Wilson
Juvenile Justice & Family Issues
3/4/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

When children are removed from a parent's home, they are often
significantly traumatized.  Placement in a relative's home may help soften
the blow by providing people and surroundings that are familiar to them.
Research has shown that kinship foster care may decrease the number of
placements of a child and may help create a more stable environment for the
child.  House Bill 714 requires the Department of Protective and Regulatory
Services to place the child in foster care with a relative whenever
possible. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the Department of Protective and
Regulatory Services in SECTION 1 (Section 264.113, Family Code) of this
bill. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 714 amends the Family Code to establish kinship foster care.
The bill requires that the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services
(department) make a reasonable effort to ensure that a child is placed in
foster care with a relative whenever possible.  The bill also requires that
the department develop an accelerated process to certify the home of a
relative who is providing foster care for a child. The bill prohibits the
certification process from being as stringent as the routine certification
process for other foster homes.  The bill requires the department, by rule,
to provide for immediate foster care payments for a person who is providing
foster care for a child who is a relative.  The bill authorizes the
department, by rule, to provide for a waiver of the foster home
certification requirements when a child is placed in foster care with a
relative. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.