foster care records go to juvenile justice agencies on request

The text as introduced · 474 words

By: Bowers
H.B. No. 1825

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the exchange of certain information between the

Department of Family and Protective Services or certain foster care

services contractors and a state or local juvenile justice agency.

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

SECTION 1. Section 58.0052(b-3), Family Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(b-3) At the request of a state or local juvenile justice

agency, the Department of Family and Protective Services or a

single source continuum contractor who contracts with the

department to provide foster care services shall, as soon as

practicable , share with the juvenile justice agency information in

the possession of the department or contractor that is necessary to

improve and maintain community safety or that assists the agency in

the continuation of services for or providing services to a

multi-system youth who:

(1) is or has been in the temporary or permanent

managing conservatorship of the department;

(2) is or was the subject of a family-based safety

services case with the department;

(3) has been reported as an alleged victim of abuse or

neglect to the department;

(4) is the perpetrator in a case in which the

department investigation concluded that there was a reason to

believe that abuse or neglect occurred;

(5) is a victim in a case in which the department

investigation concluded that there was a reason to believe that

abuse or neglect occurred ; or

(6) is a child for whom parental rights have been

terminated with respect to one or both parents .

SECTION 2. Section 243.008(c), Human Resources Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(c) The Department of Family and Protective Services shall,

as soon as practicable after receiving a request from a state or

local juvenile justice agency, as defined by Section 58.101, Family

Code , provide the following information regarding a child in the

custody of the juvenile justice agency :

(1) whether the child is currently or has been in

foster care; and

(2) if applicable, the number of times the child has

previously been placed in foster care.

SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to

a request for information made by a state or local juvenile justice

agency on or after the effective date of this Act. A request for

information made before that date is governed by the law in effect

immediately before the effective date of this Act, and the former

law is continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 4. 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.