Monitoring the Session

HB 215

kin caregivers get the child’s support payments, not the state

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Ryan GuillenRHouse 31

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 the payment of support rights and benefits for a child placed with a relative or other designated caregiver.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

The department helps assign child support and names the caregiver payee for SSI.

The bill lets relatives or other designated caregivers who take in a child from the state child welfare department receive the child's support payments and benefits instead of the state. It touches kinship caregivers, children in their care, and the department, which must help assign child support rights and name the caregiver as the payee for benefits like SSI. Starting September 1, 2025, child support tied to a child placed with a relative no longer automatically goes to the state, and the department has to help route that money to the caregiver.

Labels

Labels: ACROSS THE AISLE. Joint authors: 3 Republicans, 2 Democrats. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on Apr 16, 2025. Died in the Senate: never got out of the Health & Human Services committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB215 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Ryan GuillenRHouse 31 Rep. Steve TothRHouse 15 Rep. Ana-María Rodríguez RamosDHouse 102

+ 2 more authors, 4 coauthors

ITEM

relating to the payment of support rights and benefits for a child placed with a relative or other designated caregiver.

WHAT IT DOES

The department helps assign child support and names the caregiver payee for SSI.

The bill lets relatives or other designated caregivers who take in a child from the state child welfare department receive the child's support payments and benefits instead of the state. It touches kinship caregivers, children in their care, and the department, which must help assign child support rights and name the caregiver as the payee for benefits like SSI. Starting September 1, 2025, child support tied to a child placed with a relative no longer automatically goes to the state, and the department has to help route that money to the caregiver.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · March 26, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

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. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  7. Left pending in committee
  8. Considered in public hearing
  9. Committee substitute considered in committee
  10. Reported favorably as substituted
  11. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  12. Committee report distributed
  13. Committee report sent to Calendars
  14. Considered in Calendars
  15. Placed on General State Calendar
  16. Read 2nd time
  17. Amended 1-Toth
  18. Record vote RV#200
  19. Passed to engrossment as amended
  20. Record vote RV#201
  21. Read 3rd time
  22. Passed
  23. Record vote RV#220
  24. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  25. Reported engrossed
  26. Received from the House
  27. Read first time
  28. Referred to Health & Human Services
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 145 yea · 0 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · Apr 16, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Ryan Guillen

Donors

Frontera Texas PAC$160KTexas Sands PAC$121KAssociated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund$23K

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 · Jul 1, 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.

Frontera Texas PAC$160,007.97

Frontera Texas PAC

$160,007.97

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$160,007.97
Total
$160,007.97
Other filed descriptions $73,500.00mail $40,000.00mailing $19,429.94texting $18,144.37digital $8,211.55printing $722.11

Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 5, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 30, 2025 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.

Report IDs: 101033369, 101062168, 101070155, 101073001.

Texas Sands PAC$120,875.00

Texas Sands PAC

$120,875.00

Cash
$113,500.00
Paid by others
$7,375.00
Total
$120,875.00
polling $7,375.00

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 · Dec 14, 2024 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: 100989191, 101033369, 101062168, 101073001.

Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund$22,795.90

Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund

$22,795.90

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$22,795.90
Total
$22,795.90
polling $15,000.00Other filed descriptions $7,352.14texting $443.76

Also funds 20 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 15, 2025 to Sep 10, 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: 101033369, 101070155.

Money

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

×

Frontera Texas PAC

$160,007.97

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$160,007.97
Total
$160,007.97
Other filed descriptions $73,500.00mail $40,000.00mailing $19,429.94texting $18,144.37digital $8,211.55printing $722.11

Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 5, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 30, 2025 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.

Report IDs: 101033369, 101062168, 101070155, 101073001.

×

Texas Sands PAC

$120,875.00

Cash
$113,500.00
Paid by others
$7,375.00
Total
$120,875.00
polling $7,375.00

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 · Dec 14, 2024 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: 100989191, 101033369, 101062168, 101073001.

×

Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund

$22,795.90

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$22,795.90
Total
$22,795.90
polling $15,000.00Other filed descriptions $7,352.14texting $443.76

Also funds 20 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 15, 2025 to Sep 10, 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: 101033369, 101070155.

Votes3

House Apr 16, 2025

Yea
145
Nay
0
Present, not voting
1
Absent
4
Excused
0
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 220

HB 215 was passed by (Record 220): 145 Yeas, 0 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 145 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 1 (published)
  • Absent: 4 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

House Apr 15, 2025

Yea
147
Nay
0
Present, not voting
1
Absent
0
Excused
2
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 201

CSHB 215, as amended, was passed to engrossment by (Record 201): 147 Yeas, 0 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 147 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 1 (published)
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 2 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

House Apr 15, 2025

Yea
147
Nay
0
Present, not voting
1
Absent
0
Excused
2
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 200

Amendment No. 1 was adopted by (Record 200): 147 Yeas, 0 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 147 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 1 (published)
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 2 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses18
For
16
Against
0
On
2
Names

For

  • AARP Texas1 registration
  • Children at Risk1 registration
  • Feeding Texas1 registration
  • Houston Food Bank1 registration
  • Methodist Healthcare Ministries1 registration
  • Self1 registration
  • Self; League of Women Voters1 registration
  • Self; Tafda1 registration
  • Self; Texas Silver Haired Legislature1 registration
  • Self; TSHL1 registration
  • Texans Care for Children1 registration
  • Texas CASA1 registration
  • Texas Medical Association1 registration
  • Texas Pediatric Society1 registration
  • TexProtects1 registration
  • United Ways of Texas1 registration

On

  • DFPS - Resource Witness1 registration
  • Office of the Attorney General, Child Support Division1 registration
Sources

18 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

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · March 26, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

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.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

04/23/2025 S Referred to Health & Human Services

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed

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

Coauthors
Lulu FloresDHouse 51 Ray LopezDHouse 125 Penny Morales ShawDHouse 148 Mihaela PlesaDHouse 70

House committee · Human Services · Committee vote 11 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee

Senate committee · Health & Human Services · Final status: Died in committee

Companion

SB 200 by Menéndez (identical)

HB 1046 by Bhojani (duplicate)

Subjects

Family--Child Protection

Family--Child Support

FAMILY & PROTECTIVE SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF

Text

The text as introduced · 236 words

89R3092 MM-D

By: Guillen
H.B. No. 215

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the payment of support rights and benefits for a child

placed with a relative or other designated caregiver.

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

SECTION 1. Section 264.109(a), Family Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(a) Except as provided by Section 264.763, the [ The ]

placement of a child in substitute care by the department

constitutes an assignment to the state of any support rights

attributable to the child as of the date the child is placed in

substitute care.

SECTION 2. Subchapter I, Chapter 264, Family Code, is

amended by adding Section 264.763 to read as follows:

Sec. 264.763. PAYMENT OF CHILD'S SUPPORT RIGHTS AND

BENEFITS. A relative or other designated caregiver is eligible to

receive support and benefits on behalf of a child placed with the

person by the department. The department shall facilitate:

(1) the assignment to the relative or other designated

caregiver of any support rights attributable to the child; and

(2) the designation of the relative or other

designated caregiver as the representative payee for any programs,

services, and payments to which the child is entitled or that are

paid for the benefit of the child, including Supplemental Security

Income (SSI) benefits under 42 U.S.C. Section 1381 et seq.

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