All Roll Calls
Yes: 421 • No: 0
TexasSB 139889th Legislature Regular SessionSenateWALLET
Relating to certain procedures in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship for a child placed in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services and the provision of family preservation services and community-based foster care.
Sponsored By: Lois Kolkhorst (Republican), Candy Noble
Signed by Governor
Family--Child ProtectionFamily--Parent & ChildPurchasing--StateReligionADOPTIONCONSERVATORSHIPCONTRACTORS & SUBCONTRACTORSFOSTER CAREINTERNETFAMILY & PROTECTIVE SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
7 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.
Broader support for foster care families
Beginning September 1, 2025, Texas broadens time-limited, family-focused preservation services, including services covered by federal prevention programs. Covered groups include families with children at risk of foster care, pregnant or parenting foster youth, and court-ordered households. Case management also covers adoption help, independent-living services, and reunification support, including monitored returns home. It covers children in state custody, their families, young adults in extended foster care, and relative or kinship caregivers. Certain children placed through the interstate placement agreement are also covered.
Care contractors face stronger performance checks
Beginning September 1, 2025, the Department must post a schedule for checking contractors' placement and case management services. Capacity reviews add family preservation services for contracts entered into or amended on or after that date. Annual reviews start on each covered contract's first anniversary; sample-based service-use reviews occur at least every two years. Contracts provide financial remedies, performance incentives, corrective plans with deadlines, and escalating responses to service failures or court-order violations. All covered services must use fixed per-person or per-case funding, called capitation, by the contract's third anniversary.
Families gain voice in foster care
Beginning September 1, 2025, community-based care contractors must maintain community engagement plans and advisory committees meeting at least quarterly. Most committee members cannot work for or contract with the contractor. Members include foster families, kinship caregivers, foster youth, faith-based groups, courts, and other child-welfare representatives. The Department must include committee findings in annual contractor reviews, applicable corrective plans, and quality-improvement work. Contracts can also require faith-based foster-parent recruitment and retention programs, including information, training, and support; these programs are optional.
Stricter emergency supervision rules protect children
Beginning September 1, 2025, agencies, contractors, and courts cannot seek or order temporary emergency supervision when an appropriate placement exists. A child's refusal to stay does not make a placement inappropriate. Before an order, officials must report each attempted placement's type, location, contact date, and reason for rejection. Only the Department or a contractor provides supervision; supervising employees need background checks, cannot use their homes, and replace emergency care with supervision. The Department must notify the court by the next business day; placement-review rules apply regardless of when state custody began.
Child welfare contracts get fewer audits
Beginning September 1, 2025, the State Auditor reviews Department performance-based contracts every two years instead of annually. Reviews still assess contract enforcement and recommend improvements to oversight and contract execution.
Parents leave selected-provider service cost rule
Beginning September 1, 2025, the law removes parents from those expressly responsible for family preservation services they independently select. Managing conservators, guardians, and nonparent household members remain responsible for services obtained from a provider they chose. The law sets no dollar amount for these costs.
Family services shift to local contractors
Contracts entered into or amended on or after September 1, 2025, must transfer family preservation services to qualifying foster care contractors. Initial areas qualify through community-based care implementation or a signed contractor agreement before September 1, 2017. Contracts for areas added after September 1, 2017, must also require the transfer. Contracts must sequence preservation, case management, and post-reunification support based on community needs, readiness, and contractor capacity. Where contractor services had not started before September 1, 2023, starting with preservation services requires outside system review and service-specific outcomes. Meeting those outcomes is required to continue or expand those services.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
Lois Kolkhorst
Republican • Senate
Candy Noble
House
Cosponsors
Royce West
Democratic • Senate
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 5/28/2025
Record vote
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • 5/24/2025
Record vote
Yes: 133 • No: 0
House vote • 5/23/2025
Record vote
Yes: 132 • No: 0
House vote • 5/23/2025
Record vote
Yes: 137 • No: 0
Senate vote • 4/22/2025
Record vote
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 4/22/2025
Record vote
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • Unknown
Committee vote: Human Services
Yes: 10 • No: 0
Senate vote • Unknown
Committee vote: Health & Human Services
Yes: 9 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Effective on 9/1/25
6/20/2025HouseSigned by the Governor
6/20/2025HouseSent to the Governor
6/1/2025HouseSigned in the House
6/1/2025HouseSigned in the Senate
5/30/2025SenateSenate concurs in House amendment(s)-reported
5/29/2025HouseReported enrolled
5/28/2025SenateRecord vote
5/28/2025SenateSenate concurs in House amendment(s)
5/28/2025SenateRead
5/28/2025SenateHouse amendment(s) laid before the Senate
5/28/2025SenateHouse passage as amended reported
5/25/2025SenateStatement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
5/24/2025HouseRecord vote (RV#3455)
5/24/2025HousePassed
5/24/2025HouseRead 3rd time
5/24/2025HouseStatement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
5/23/2025HouseRecord vote (RV#3396)
5/23/2025HousePassed to 3rd reading as amended
5/23/2025HouseStatement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
5/23/2025HouseRecord vote (RV#3395)
5/23/2025HouseAmended (1-Noble)
5/23/2025HouseRead 2nd time
5/23/2025HousePlaced on General State Calendar
5/22/2025HouseConsidered in Calendars
5/20/2025House
Bill Text
Engrossed
Enrolled
House Committee Report
Introduced
Senate Committee Report
Related Bills
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