family services must finish 15 business days before dismissal

The text as introduced · 449 words

89R3635 DNC-D

By: Gervin-Hawkins
H.B. No. 661

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a deadline for completing services under a family

service plan.

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

SECTION 1. Section 263.102, Family Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (e-1) to read as

follows:

(a) The service plan must:

(1) be specific;

(2) be in writing in a language that the parents

understand, or made otherwise available;

(3) be prepared by the department in conference with

the child's parents;

(4) state appropriate deadlines;

(5) specify the primary permanency goal and at least

one alternative permanency goal;

(6) state steps that are necessary to:

(A) return the child to the child's home if the

placement is in foster care;

(B) enable the child to remain in the child's

home with the assistance of a service plan if the placement is in

the home under the department's supervision; or

(C) otherwise provide a permanent safe placement

for the child;

(7) state the actions and responsibilities that are

necessary for the child's parents to take to achieve the plan goal

during the period of the service plan and the assistance to be

provided to the parents by the department or other agency toward

meeting that goal;

(8) state any specific skills or knowledge that the

child's parents must acquire or learn, as well as any behavioral

changes the parents must exhibit, to achieve the plan goal;

(9) state the actions and responsibilities that are

necessary for the child's parents to take to ensure that the child

attends school and maintains or improves the child's academic

compliance;

(10) state the name of the person with the department

whom the child's parents may contact for information relating to

the child if other than the person preparing the plan; [ and ]

(11) prescribe any other term or condition that the

department determines to be necessary to the service plan's

success ; and

(12) describe any services the department will provide

under Subsection (e) .

(e-1) Services provided by the department under Subsection

(e) must be concluded not later than the 15th business day before

the dismissal date for the suit as provided by Subchapter E.

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

to a service plan that is created on or after the effective date of

this Act. A service plan that is created before the effective date

of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the service

plan was created, and the former law is continued in effect for that

purpose.

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