85R4110 MK-D
 
  By: West S.B. No. 796
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the collection of information concerning the number of
  juvenile offenders committed to the Texas Juvenile Justice
  Department who have been in foster care.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 243, Human Resources Code,
  is amended by adding Section 243.008 to read as follows:
         Sec. 243.008.  INFORMATION CONCERNING FOSTER CARE HISTORY.
  (a)  In this section, "foster care" means the placement of a child
  in the conservatorship of a state agency responsible for providing
  child protective services.
         (b)  The department, during the admission process, shall
  determine whether a child committed to the department has at any
  time been in foster care. The department shall record the following
  on the child's intake form:
               (1)  whether the child is currently in foster care; and
               (2)  if applicable, the number of times the child has
  previously been placed in foster care.
         (c)  Not later than January 31 of each even-numbered year,
  the department shall submit a report to the governor, the
  lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives,
  and each standing committee having primary jurisdiction over the
  department. The report must summarize statistical information
  concerning the total number and percentage of children in the
  custody of the department during the preceding two years who have at
  any time been in foster care.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.