Bill Text: TX HB4124 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a foster children's bill of rights.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-03-31 - Referred to Human Services [HB4124 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB4124-Introduced.html
| By: Rodriguez of Travis | H.B. No. 4124 | |
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| relating to a foster children's bill of rights. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 263.008(b), Family Code, is amended by | ||
| to read as follows: | ||
| (b) It | ||
| is the policy of this state that each child in foster | ||
| care be informed of the child's rights provided by state or federal | ||
| law or policy that relate to: | ||
| (1) abuse, neglect, exploitation, discrimination, and | ||
| harassment, which includes discrimination and harassment based on | ||
| gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, national | ||
| origin, disability, medical problems or sexual orientation; | ||
| (2) food, clothing, shelter, and education; | ||
| (3) medical, dental, vision, and mental health | ||
| services, including the right of the child to consent to treatment; | ||
| (4) emergency behavioral intervention, including what | ||
| methods are permitted, the conditions under which it may be used, | ||
| and the precautions that must be taken when administering it; | ||
| (5) placement with the child's siblings and contact | ||
| with members of the child's family; | ||
| (6) privacy and searches, including the use of storage | ||
| space, mail, and the telephone; | ||
| (7) participation in school-related extracurricular | ||
| or community activities; | ||
| (8) interaction with persons outside the foster care | ||
| system, including teachers, church members, mentors, and friends; | ||
| (9) contact and communication with caseworkers, | ||
| attorneys ad litem, guardians ad litem, and court-appointed special | ||
| advocates; | ||
| (10) the freedom to choose a religion or attend | ||
| religious services and activities of the child's choosing, which | ||
| includes the choice not to practice a religion; | ||
| (11) confidentiality of the child's records; | ||
| (12) job skills, personal finances, and preparation | ||
| for adulthood; | ||
| (13) participation in a court hearing that involves | ||
| the child; | ||
| (14) participation in the development of service and | ||
| treatment plans; | ||
| (15) if the child has a disability, the advocacy and | ||
| protection of the rights of a person with that disability; and | ||
| (16) any other matter affecting the child's ability to | ||
| receive care and treatment in the least restrictive environment | ||
| that is most like a family setting, consistent with the best | ||
| interests and needs of the child. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 42.042, Human Resources Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Subsection (s) to read as follows: | ||
| (s) The department may not make a rule that: | ||
| (1) discriminates based on gender, gender identity, | ||
| race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability, medical | ||
| problems, or sexual orientation, or | ||
| (2) limits a foster child's rights to choose a | ||
| religion, or attend religious services or activities of the child's | ||
| choosing, which includes the choice not to practice a religion. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 263.008(h), Family Code, is repealed. | ||
| 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, 2017. | ||
