Monitoring the Session

HB 1155

bill paying low-income parents after a monitored return

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Lacey HullRHouse 138

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to monetary assistance provided by the Department of Family and Protective Services to certain parents.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

The state child welfare agency pays when children go home.

The bill requires the state child welfare agency to pay money to low-income parents whose children a court has sent home under a monitored return order. Parents qualify if family income is at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level and they show money problems like housing, food or child care are the main barrier to getting their kids back. Payments match foster care rates for the monitoring period, can be extended six months after the case closes, and apply to existing orders starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 4894 (Died in committee) and this bill (Did not pass). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 4894 (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Human Services committee 10-0 on Apr 1, 2025. Never placed on a calendar. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1155 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Lacey HullRHouse 138

ITEM

relating to monetary assistance provided by the Department of Family and Protective Services to certain parents.

WHAT IT DOES

The state child welfare agency pays when children go home.

The bill requires the state child welfare agency to pay money to low-income parents whose children a court has sent home under a monitored return order. Parents qualify if family income is at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level and they show money problems like housing, food or child care are the main barrier to getting their kids back. Payments match foster care rates for the monitoring period, can be extended six months after the case closes, and apply to existing orders starting September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

Net to General Revenue · FY 2026($1,434,019)

LBB estimate, flow · fiscal note version H · ( ) = negative · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 3, 2025

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB1155, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($2,318,714) through the biennium ending August 31, 2027.

First year · FY 2026 · ($1,434,019)

Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Human Services
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Committee substitute considered in committee
  7. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  8. Left pending in committee
  9. Considered in public hearing
  10. Committee substitute considered in committee
  11. Reported favorably as substituted
  12. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  13. Committee report distributed
  14. Committee report sent to Calendars
  15. Considered in Calendars
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Lacey Hull

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$595KTexas Conservative Majority PAC$483KTexas Sands PAC$245K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Oct 28, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$595,376.10

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$595,376.10

Cash
$80,000.00
Paid by others
$515,376.10
Total
$595,376.10
mail $216,305.25advertising $185,974.50Other filed descriptions $66,286.00polling $46,810.35

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 30, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101010359, 101033114, 101035066, 101040912, 101044098, 101069436, 101072848.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$483,456.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$483,456.00

Cash
$150,000.00
Paid by others
$333,456.00
Total
$483,456.00
canvassing $316,956.00polling $16,500.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Feb 13, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101040912, 101069436, 101072848.

Texas Sands PAC$244,600.00

Texas Sands PAC

$244,600.00

Cash
$234,000.00
Paid by others
$10,600.00
Total
$244,600.00
polling $10,600.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jan 14, 2026 to Sep 25, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101035066, 101040912, 101072848.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$595,376.10

Cash
$80,000.00
Paid by others
$515,376.10
Total
$595,376.10
mail $216,305.25advertising $185,974.50Other filed descriptions $66,286.00polling $46,810.35

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 30, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101010359, 101033114, 101035066, 101040912, 101044098, 101069436, 101072848.

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$483,456.00

Cash
$150,000.00
Paid by others
$333,456.00
Total
$483,456.00
canvassing $316,956.00polling $16,500.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Feb 13, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101040912, 101069436, 101072848.

×

Texas Sands PAC

$244,600.00

Cash
$234,000.00
Paid by others
$10,600.00
Total
$244,600.00
polling $10,600.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jan 14, 2026 to Sep 25, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101035066, 101040912, 101072848.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses16
For
15
Against
0
On
1
Names

For

  • Buckner International1 registration
  • Self4 registrations
  • Self; Austin Justice Coalition1 registration
  • Self; Austin justice coalition1 registration
  • Self; Family Freedom Project1 registration
  • Texans care for children1 registration
  • Texas CASA1 registration
  • Texas Council on Family Violence1 registration
  • Texas Medical Association1 registration
  • Texas Network of Youth Services1 registration
  • Texas Pediatric Society1 registration
  • TexProtects1 registration

On

  • DFPS - Resource witness1 registration
Sources

16 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal
Net to General Revenue · FY 2026($1,434,019)

LBB estimate, flow · fiscal note version H · ( ) = negative · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 3, 2025

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB1155, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($2,318,714) through the biennium ending August 31, 2027.

First year · FY 2026 · ($1,434,019)

Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R HB 4894

by Rep. Hull, same lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Mar 23, 2023: Referred to Human Services

Relating to monetary assistance provided by the Department of Family and Protective Services to certain parents.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

04/30/2025 H Considered in Calendars

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Human Services · Committee vote 10 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Subjects

Family--Child Protection

Family--Parent & Child

FAMILY & PROTECTIVE SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF

Text

The text as introduced · 290 words

89R3743 AMF-F

By: Hull
H.B. No. 1155

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to monetary assistance provided by the Department of

Family and Protective Services to certain parents.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 264, Family Code, is

amended by adding Section 264.209 to read as follows:

Sec. 264.209. MONITORED RETURN ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. (a) If

a court has rendered an order under Section 263.403 providing for

the monitored return of a child to a parent, the department shall

provide monetary assistance under this section for the duration of

the monitoring period to a parent who:

(1) has a family income that is less than or equal to

300 percent of the federal poverty level; and

(2) demonstrates to the department that economic

factors, including unemployment or inability to afford housing,

transportation, utilities, food, medical care, mental health care,

or child care are the main barrier to reunification.

(b) The department shall disburse monetary assistance

provided to a parent under Subsection (a) in the same manner as the

department disburses payments to a foster parent, including making

a rate increase effective on the same date the department

implements a rate increase for the minimum daily foster care

reimbursement rate.

(c) The department, at its discretion and for good cause,

may extend the monetary assistance payments for an additional six

months after the date the case is dismissed to support family

stability after reunification.

SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies to an

order rendered under Section 263.403, Family Code, regardless of

whether the order was rendered before, on, or after the effective

date of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.