bill letting neighbors serve on county child welfare boards

The text as introduced · 455 words

By: Schoolcraft
H.B. No. 1320

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to membership on county Child Welfare Boards in certain

counties.

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

SECTION 1. - TEXAS FAMILY CODE

Texas Family Code Sec. 264.005 is amended to read as follows:

264.005 COUNTY CHILD WELFARE BOARDS.

(a) The commissioners court of a county may appoint a child

welfare board for the county. The commissioners court and the

department shall determine the size of the board and the

qualifications of its members. However, a board must have not less

than seven and not more than 15 members , . and t The members must be

residents of the county , except in counties with a population less

than 500,000 no more than one-third of the members may be residents

of contiguous counties . The members shall serve at the pleasure of

the commissioners court and may be removed by the court for just

cause. The members serve without compensation.

(b) With the approval of the department, two or more counties may

establish a joint child welfare board if that action is found to be

more practical in accomplishing the purposes of this chapter. A

board representing more than one county has the same powers as a

board representing a single county and is subject to the same

conditions and liabilities.

(c) The members of a county child welfare board shall select a

presiding officer and shall perform the duties required by the

commissioners court and the department to accomplish the purposes

of this chapter.

(d) A county child welfare board is an entity of the department for

purposes of providing coordinated state and local public welfare

services for children and their families and for the coordinated

use of federal, state, and local funds for these services. The

child welfare board shall work with the commissioners court.

(e) A county child welfare board is a governmental unit for the

purposes of Chapter 101, Civil Practice and Remedies Code.

(f) A county child protective services board member may receive

information that is confidential under Section 40.005, Human

Resources Code, or Section 261.201 when the board member is acting

in the member's official capacity.

(g) A child welfare board may conduct a closed meeting under

Section 551.101, Government Code, to discuss, consider, or act on a

matter that is confidential under Section 40.005, Human Resources

Code, or Section 261.201.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.