H.B. No. 4544
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to providing children committed to the Texas Juvenile
  Justice Department with certain documents on discharge or release;
  authorizing a fee.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 245.0535(e), Human Resources Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (e)  The department may contract and coordinate with private
  vendors, units of local government, or other entities to implement
  the comprehensive reentry and reintegration plan developed under
  this section, including contracting to:
               (1)  coordinate the supervision and services provided
  to children during the time children are in the custody of the
  department with any supervision or services provided children who
  have been released under supervision or finally discharged from the
  department;
               (2)  provide children awaiting release under
  supervision or final discharge with documents that are necessary
  after release or discharge, including identification papers that
  include, if available, personal identification certificates
  obtained under Section 245.0536, medical prescriptions, job
  training certificates, and referrals to services; and
               (3)  provide housing and structured programs,
  including programs for recovering substance abusers, through which
  children are provided services immediately following release under
  supervision or final discharge.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter B, Chapter 245, Human Resources Code,
  is amended by adding Sections 245.0536 and 245.0537 to read as
  follows:
         Sec. 245.0536.  PROVIDING RELEASED OR DISCHARGED CHILD WITH
  STATE-ISSUED IDENTIFICATION. (a) Before releasing a child under
  supervision or finally discharging a child, the department shall:
               (1)  determine whether the child has:
                     (A)  a valid license issued under Chapter 521,
  Transportation Code; or
                     (B)  a valid personal identification certificate
  issued under Chapter 521, Transportation Code; and
               (2)  if the child does not have a valid license or
  certificate described by Subdivision (1), submit to the Department
  of Public Safety on behalf of the child a request for the issuance
  of a personal identification certificate under Chapter 521,
  Transportation Code.
         (b)  The department shall submit a request under Subsection
  (a)(2) as soon as is practicable to enable the department to receive
  the personal identification certificate before the department
  releases or discharges the child and to provide the child with the
  personal identification certificate when the department releases
  or discharges the child.
         (c)  The department, the Department of Public Safety, and the
  vital statistics unit of the Department of State Health Services
  shall adopt a memorandum of understanding that establishes their
  respective responsibilities with respect to the issuance of a
  personal identification certificate to a child, including
  responsibilities related to verification of the child's identity.
  The memorandum of understanding must require the Department of
  State Health Services to electronically verify the birth record of
  a child whose name and any other personal information is provided by
  the department and to electronically report the recorded filing
  information to the Department of Public Safety to validate the
  identity of a child under this section.
         (d)  The department shall reimburse the Department of Public
  Safety or the Department of State Health Services for the actual
  costs incurred by those agencies in performing responsibilities
  established under this section. The department may charge the
  child's parent or guardian for the actual costs incurred under this
  section or the fees required by Section 521.421, Transportation
  Code.
         (e)  This section does not apply to a child who:
               (1)  is not legally present in the United States; or
               (2)  was not a resident of this state before the child
  was placed in the custody of the department.
         Sec. 245.0537.  PROVIDING RELEASED OR DISCHARGED CHILD WITH
  BIRTH CERTIFICATE AND SOCIAL SECURITY CARD. (a) In addition to
  complying with the requirements of Section 245.0536, before
  releasing a child under supervision or finally discharging a child,
  the department must:
               (1)  determine whether the child has a:
                     (A)  certified copy of the child's birth
  certificate; and
                     (B)  copy of the child's social security card; and
               (2)  if the child does not have a document described by
  Subdivision (1), submit to the appropriate entity on behalf of the
  child a request for the issuance of the applicable document.
         (b)  The department shall submit a request under Subsection
  (a)(2) as soon as is practicable to enable the department to receive
  the applicable document before the department releases or
  discharges the child and to provide the child with the applicable
  document when the department releases or discharges the child.
         (c)  This section does not apply to a child who:
               (1)  is not legally present in the United States; or
               (2)  was not a resident of this state before the child
  was placed in the custody of the department.
         SECTION 3.  Section 521.421(a-1), Transportation Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (a-1)  The fee for a personal identification certificate
  issued under Section 501.0165, Government Code, [or] Section
  841.153, Health and Safety Code, or Section 245.0536, Human
  Resources Code, is $5.
         SECTION 4.  Sections 245.0536 and 245.0537, Human Resources
  Code, as added by this Act, apply only to the release under
  supervision or final discharge of a child that occurs on or after
  December 1, 2021. A release under supervision or final discharge
  that occurs before that date is governed by the law in effect
  immediately before the effective date of this Act, and the former
  law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 4544 was passed by the House on April
  30, 2021, by the following vote:  Yeas 141, Nays 0, 2 present, not
  voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
  No. 4544 on May 28, 2021, by the following vote:  Yeas 144, Nays 0,
  2 present, not voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 4544 was passed by the Senate, with
  amendments, on May 24, 2021, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays
  0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate   
  APPROVED: __________________
                  Date       
   
           __________________
                Governor