SB 2854

bill on court orders after foster care permanency hearings

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

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 requirements for a court order following a permanency hearing for a child in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Judges issue whatever orders serve the child’s best interest.

The bill tells judges that at the end of every permanency hearing for a child in state foster custody, they must issue whatever orders are in the child's best interest. It touches family courts, the Department of Family and Protective Services, and children in state conservatorship along with the people allowed to present evidence at those hearings. On the ground, judges get clear direction to order the department to meet its duties as managing conservator, starting with cases filed on or after September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 14, 2025 and referred to the Senate Health & Human Services committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2854 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

Sen. José MenéndezDSenate 26

ITEM

relating to requirements for a court order following a permanency hearing for a child in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services.

WHAT IT DOES

Judges issue whatever orders serve the child’s best interest.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Mar 14, 2025Received by the Secretary of the Senate
Mar 14, 2025Filed
Apr 7, 2025Read first time
Apr 7, 2025Referred to Health & Human Services

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

José Menéndez

Donors

Kickapoo Traditional Tribes of Texas$25K Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$20K Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$10K

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 2, 2024 to Oct 5, 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.

Kickapoo Traditional Tribes of Texas$25,000.00

Kickapoo Traditional Tribes of Texas

$25,000.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $25,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Jan 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jan 22, 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: 101065471.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$20,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$20,000.00

Cash: $20,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $20,000.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 5, 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: 101012370, 101032316, 101072614.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$10,000.00

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$10,000.00

Cash: $10,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $10,000.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 2, 2025. 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: 101032316.

Money

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

Kickapoo Traditional Tribes of Texas

$25,000.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $25,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Jan 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jan 22, 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: 101065471.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$20,000.00

Cash: $20,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $20,000.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 5, 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: 101012370, 101032316, 101072614.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$10,000.00

Cash: $10,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $10,000.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 2, 2025. 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: 101032316.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Mar 14, 2025

04/07/2025 S Referred to Health & Human Services

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

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

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

Subjects

Family--Child Protection

Family--Parent & Child

CONSERVATORSHIP

EVIDENCE

Text

The text as introduced · 218 words

89R15509 RAL-D

By: Menéndez
S.B. No. 2854

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to requirements for a court order following a permanency

hearing for a child in the conservatorship of the Department of

Family and Protective Services.

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

SECTION 1. Section 263.5031, Family Code, is amended by

adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:

(c) At the close of each permanency hearing under this

section, based on the court's findings from a review of the

permanency progress report under Subsection (a)(4) and any evidence

presented by persons entitled to present evidence under Section

263.0021, the court shall render any orders that the court finds to

be in the best interest of the child, including any orders necessary

to ensure the department is meeting its obligations as managing

conservator of the child.

SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply to a

suit affecting the parent-child relationship that is filed on or

after the effective date of this Act. A suit filed before the

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

date that the suit is filed, and the former law is continued in

effect for that purpose.

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