Bill Text: TX HB604 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the evaluation of potential foster parents and adoptive parents.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-04-09 - No action taken in committee [HB604 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HB604-Introduced.html
83R4583 MCK-F | ||
By: Lozano | H.B. No. 604 |
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relating to the evaluation of potential foster parents and adoptive | ||
parents. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 42, Human Resources Code, | ||
is amended by adding Section 42.066 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 42.066. PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION REQUIRED. (a) The | ||
department or a licensed child-placing agency may not place a child | ||
in a licensed or verified foster home, foster group home, agency | ||
foster home, or agency foster group home unless the department or | ||
licensed child-placing agency has performed a psychological | ||
evaluation of the operator of the home to determine the operator's | ||
personality and emotional characteristics and strengths and | ||
weaknesses to: | ||
(1) determine whether the operator: | ||
(A) is psychologically fit and emotionally | ||
prepared to be a foster care provider; or | ||
(B) poses a danger or risk to children in foster | ||
care; and | ||
(2) appropriately match the foster care provider with | ||
a child for whom the foster care provider is best able to provide a | ||
safe, nurturing environment. | ||
(b) The department or a licensed child-placing agency may | ||
not place a child in an adoptive home unless the department or | ||
licensed child-placing agency has performed a psychological | ||
evaluation of the potential adoptive parents in the manner provided | ||
by Subsection (a) for evaluating foster care providers. | ||
(c) The department shall evaluate available nationally | ||
recognized psychological examination and evaluation tools to | ||
determine the appropriate examination or evaluation tool for | ||
purposes of this section. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 42.066, Human Resources Code, as added | ||
by this Act, applies only to a child placed in a foster home or an | ||
adoptive home on or after the effective date of this Act. A child | ||
placed in a foster home or an adoptive home before the effective | ||
date of this Act is governed by the law in effect at the time the | ||
child was placed in the foster home or adoptive home, and the former | ||
law is continued in effect for that purpose. | ||
SECTION 3. 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, 2013. |