Bill creating the Supported Independent Living Program

The text as introduced · 1,326 words

By: Bowers
H.B. No. 2902

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the establishment of the Supported Independent Living

Program.

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

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

amended by adding Section 264.133 to read as follows:

Sec. 264.133. SUPPORTED INDEPENDENT LIVING PROGRAM. The

department shall establish the supported independent living

program to assist young adults interested in transitioning to

voluntary extended foster care by:

(1) providing the young adult with an independent

living placement that includes case management and support services

with limited supervision; and

(2) assisting the young adult with becoming

self-sufficient through:

(A) achieving identified educational and

employment goals;

(B) accessing community resources;

(C) receiving training in life skills; and

(D) establishing important relationships.

SECTION 2. Section 264.121(i), Family Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(i) The department shall ensure that the transition plan for

each youth 16 years of age or older includes provisions to assist

the youth in managing the youth's housing needs after the youth

leaves foster care, including provisions that:

(1) identify the cost of housing in relation to the

youth's sources of income, including any benefits or rental

assistance available to the youth;

(2) if the youth's housing goals include residing with

family or friends, state that the department has addressed the

following with the youth:

(A) the length of time the youth expects to stay

in the housing arrangement;

(B) expectations for the youth regarding paying

rent and meeting other household obligations;

(C) the youth's psychological and emotional

needs, as applicable; and

(D) any potential conflicts with other household

members, or any difficulties connected to the type of housing the

youth is seeking, that may arise based on the youth's psychological

and emotional needs;

(3) inform the youth about emergency shelters and

housing resources, including supported [ supervised ] independent

living and housing at colleges and universities, such as

dormitories;

(4) require the department to review a common rental

application with the youth and ensure that the youth possesses all

of the documentation required to obtain rental housing; and

(5) identify any individuals who are able to serve as

cosigners or references on the youth's applications for housing.

SECTION 3. Sections 264.1214(a) and (f), Family Code, are

amended to read as follows:

(a) For a youth who will voluntarily enter extended foster

care on the youth's 18th birthday, the youth's caseworker shall, not

later than six months before the youth's 18th birthday, complete

any necessary transitional living or supported [ supervised ]

independent living paperwork to ensure the youth has housing on the

date the youth enters extended foster care. Not later than the 90th

day before the youth's 18th birthday, the caseworker shall review

the qualifications and requirements for the youth's housing.

(f) The department shall assist a youth living in a

supported [ supervised ] independent living program arrangement to

develop a rental history by allowing the youth to cosign the lease

for the youth's housing provided the property owner does not

object.

SECTION 4. Section 411.114(a)(3), Government Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(3) In addition to the criminal history record

information the Department of Family and Protective Services or the

Health and Human Services Commission is required to obtain under

Subdivision (2), the Department of Family and Protective Services

or the Health and Human Services Commission, as applicable, is

entitled to obtain criminal history record information as provided

by Subdivision (4) that relates to a person who is:

(A) an applicant for a position with the

Department of Family and Protective Services or the Health and

Human Services Commission regardless of the duties of the position,

including a position described by Subdivision (2)(D);

(B) a Department of Family and Protective

Services employee or a Health and Human Services Commission

employee regardless of the duties of the employee's position,

including an employee described by Subdivision (2)(H);

(C) a volunteer or applicant volunteer with the

Department of Family and Protective Services or the Health and

Human Services Commission regardless of the duties to be performed,

including a registered volunteer;

(D) an employee of, an applicant for employment

with, or a volunteer or an applicant volunteer with an entity or

person who contracts with the Department of Family and Protective

Services or the Health and Human Services Commission, as

applicable, and has access to confidential information in that

department's or commission's records, if the employee, applicant,

volunteer, or applicant volunteer has or will have access to that

confidential information;

(E) a person living in the residence in which the

alleged victim of the report resides, including an alleged

perpetrator in a report described by Subdivision (2)(I);

(F) a person providing, at the request of the

child's parent, in-home care for a child who is the subject of a

report alleging the child has been abused or neglected;

(G) a person providing, at the request of the

child's parent, in-home care for a child only if the person gives

written consent to the release and disclosure of the information;

(H) a child who is related to the caretaker, as

determined under Section 42.002, Human Resources Code, or any other

person who resides in, is present in, or has unsupervised access to

a child in the care of a facility or family home;

(I) a relative of a child in the care of the

Department of Family and Protective Services or the Health and

Human Services Commission, as applicable, to the extent necessary

to comply with Section 162.007, Family Code;

(J) a person providing or applying to provide

in-home, adoptive, or foster care for children to the extent

necessary to comply with Subchapter B, Chapter 162, Family Code;

(K) a person who volunteers to supervise

visitation under Subchapter B, Chapter 263, Family Code;

(L) an employee of or volunteer at, or an

applicant for employment with or to be a volunteer at, an entity

that provides supported [ supervised ] independent living services

to a young adult receiving extended foster care services from the

Department of Family and Protective Services or the Health and

Human Services Commission, as applicable;

(M) a person 14 years of age or older who will be

regularly or frequently working or staying in a host home that is

providing supported [ supervised ] independent living services to a

young adult receiving extended foster care services from the

Department of Family and Protective Services or the Health and

Human Services Commission, as applicable;

(N) a volunteer or applicant volunteer with a

local affiliate in this state of Big Brothers Big Sisters of

America;

(O) a volunteer or applicant volunteer with an

organization that provides court-appointed volunteer advocates for

abused or neglected children; or

(P) an employee, volunteer, or applicant

volunteer of a children's advocacy center under Subchapter E,

Chapter 264, Family Code, including a member of the governing board

of a center.

SECTION 5. Section 40.081(a), Human Resources Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(a) In furtherance of department duties under Section

40.002(d), the department shall to the greatest extent possible

develop capacity for placement settings that are eligible for

federal financial participation under 42 U.S.C. Section 672,

including settings:

(1) specializing in providing prenatal, postpartum,

or parenting support for youth;

(2) providing high-quality residential care and

supportive services to children and youth who this state has

reasonable cause to believe are, or who are at risk of being, sex

trafficking victims in accordance with 42 U.S.C. Section

671(a)(9)(C);

(3) providing supported [ supervised ] independent

living for young adults;

(4) offering residential family-based substance abuse

treatment as described by 42 U.S.C. Section 672(j); and

(5) serving as a qualified residential treatment

program.

SECTION 6. Not later than January 1, 2026, the Department of

Family and Protective Services shall change any informational

materials related to the supervised independent living program to

reflect the supported independent living program name.

SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.