Title FA, Family Code

Sec. 107.151. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: (1) "Adoption evaluation" means a pre-placement or post-placement evaluative process through which information and recommendations regarding adoption of a child may be made to the court, the parties, and the parties' attorneys. (2) "…

Sec. 107.152. APPLICABILITY. (a) For purposes of this subchapter, an adoption evaluation does not include services provided in accordance with the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children adopted under Subchapter B, Chapter 162, or an evaluation conducted in accordance wit…

Sec. 107.153. ORDER FOR ADOPTION EVALUATION. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (a-1), the court shall order the performance of an adoption evaluation to evaluate each party who requests termination of the parent-child relationship or an adoption in a suit for: (1) termination …

Sec. 107.154. ADOPTION EVALUATOR: MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS. (a) In this section: (1) "Full-time experience" means a period during which a person works at least 30 hours per week. (2) "Human services field of study" means a field of study designed to prepare a person in the discipli…

Sec. 107.155. EXCEPTION TO QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED TO CONDUCT ADOPTION EVALUATION. (a) In a county with a population of less than 500,000, if a court finds that an individual who meets the requirements of Section 107.154 is not available in the county to conduct an adoption evalu…

Sec. 107.156. ADOPTION EVALUATOR: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND BIAS. (a) Before accepting appointment as an adoption evaluator in a suit, a person must disclose to the court, each attorney for a party to the suit, any attorney for a child who is the subject of the suit, and any part…

Sec. 107.157. REPORTING CERTAIN PLACEMENTS FOR ADOPTION. An adoption evaluator shall report to the department any adoptive placement that appears to have been made by someone other than a licensed child-placing agency or a child's parent or managing conservator. Added by Acts 201…

Sec. 107.158. GENERAL PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO CONDUCT OF ADOPTION EVALUATOR AND PREPARATION OF REPORTS. (a) Unless otherwise directed by a court or prescribed by this subchapter, an adoption evaluator's actions in conducting an adoption evaluation must be in conformance with the…

Sec. 107.159. REQUIREMENTS FOR PRE-PLACEMENT PORTION OF ADOPTION EVALUATION AND REPORT. (a) Unless otherwise agreed to by the court, the pre-placement part of an adoption evaluation must comply with the minimum requirements for the pre-placement part of an adoption evaluation und…

Sec. 107.160. REQUIREMENTS FOR POST-PLACEMENT PORTION OF ADOPTION EVALUATION AND REPORT. (a) Unless otherwise agreed to by the court, the post-placement part of an adoption evaluation must comply with the minimum requirements for the post-placement part of an adoption evaluation …

Sec. 107.161. INTRODUCTION AND PROVISION OF ADOPTION EVALUATION REPORT AND TESTIMONY RELATING TO ADOPTION EVALUATION. (a) Disclosure to the jury of the contents of an adoption evaluation report prepared under Section 107.159 or 107.160 is subject to the rules of evidence. (b) The…

Sec. 107.162. ADOPTION EVALUATION FEE. If the court orders an adoption evaluation to be conducted, the court shall award the adoption evaluator a reasonable fee for the preparation of the evaluation that shall be imposed in the form of a money judgment and paid directly to the ev…

Sec. 107.163. ADOPTION EVALUATOR ACCESS TO INVESTIGATIVE RECORDS OF DEPARTMENT; OFFENSE. (a) An adoption evaluator is entitled to obtain from the department a complete, unredacted copy of any investigative record regarding abuse or neglect that relates to any person residing in t…

Sec. 107.201. APPLICABILITY. This subchapter does not apply to services provided in accordance with the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children adopted under Subchapter B, Chapter 162, to an evaluation conducted in accordance with Section 262.114 by an employee of or cont…

Sec. 107.202. ASSIGNMENT OF EVALUATIONS IN CONTESTED ADOPTIONS. (a) In a suit in which the adoption of a child is being contested, the court shall determine the nature of the questions posed before appointing an evaluator to conduct either a child custody evaluation or an adoptio…

Sec. 107.251. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "governmental entity" includes a county, a group of counties, a department of a county, an administrative judicial region created by Section 74.042, Government Code, and any entity created under the Interlocal Cooperation Act as permi…

Sec. 107.252. APPLICABILITY. This subchapter applies to a suit filed by a governmental entity seeking termination of the parent-child relationship or the appointment of a conservator for a child in which appointment of an attorney is required under Section 107.012 or 107.013. Add…

Sec. 107.253. NONPROFIT FUNDING. This subchapter does not limit or prevent a nonprofit corporation from receiving and using money obtained from other entities to provide legal representation and services as authorized by this subchapter. Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 5…

Sec. 107.254. OFFICE OF CHILD REPRESENTATION. An office of child representation is an entity that uses public money to provide legal representation and services for a child in a suit filed by a governmental entity seeking termination of the parent-child relationship or the appoin…

Sec. 107.255. OFFICE OF PARENT REPRESENTATION. An office of parent representation is an entity that uses public money to provide legal representation and services for a parent in a suit filed by a governmental entity seeking termination of the parent-child relationship or the app…

Sec. 107.256. CREATION OF OFFICE OF CHILD REPRESENTATION OR OFFICE OF PARENT REPRESENTATION. (a) An office described by Section 107.254 or 107.255 may be a governmental entity or a nonprofit corporation operating under a written agreement with a governmental entity, other than an…

Sec. 107.257. NONPROFIT AS OFFICE. (a) Before contracting with a nonprofit corporation to serve as an office of child representation or office of parent representation, the commissioners court or commissioners courts, as applicable, must solicit proposals for the office. (b) Afte…

Sec. 107.258. PLAN OF OPERATION FOR OFFICE. The applicable commissioners court or commissioners courts shall require a written plan of operation from an entity serving as an office of child representation or office of parent representation. The plan must include: (1) a budget for…

Sec. 107.259. OFFICE PERSONNEL. (a) An office of child representation or office of parent representation must be directed by a chief counsel who: (1) is a member of the State Bar of Texas; (2) has practiced law for at least five years; and (3) has substantial experience in the pr…

Sec. 107.260. APPOINTMENTS IN COUNTY IN WHICH OFFICE CREATED. (a) If there is an office of child representation or office of parent representation serving a county, a court in that county shall appoint for a child or parent, as applicable, an attorney from the office in a suit fi…

Sec. 107.261. FUNDING OF OFFICE. An office of child representation or office of parent representation is entitled to receive money for personnel costs and expenses incurred in operating as an office in amounts set by the commissioners court and paid out of the appropriate county …

Sec. 107.262. OVERSIGHT BOARD. (a) The commissioners court of a county or the commissioners courts of two or more counties may establish an oversight board for an office of child representation or office of parent representation created in accordance with this subchapter. (b) A c…

Sec. 107.301. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: (1) "Governmental entity" includes a county, a group of counties, a department of a county, an administrative judicial region created by Section 74.042, Government Code, and any entity created under the Interlocal Cooperation Act as …

Sec. 107.302. MANAGED ASSIGNED COUNSEL PROGRAM. (a) A managed assigned counsel program may be operated with public money for the purpose of appointing counsel to provide legal representation and services for a child or parent in a suit filed by a governmental entity seeking termi…

Sec. 107.303. CREATION OF MANAGED ASSIGNED COUNSEL PROGRAM. (a) The commissioners court of a county, on written approval of a judge of a statutory county court or a district court having family law jurisdiction in the county, may appoint a governmental entity, nonprofit corporati…

Sec. 107.304. PLAN FOR PROGRAM REQUIRED. The commissioners court or commissioners courts shall require a written plan of operation from an entity operating a program under this subchapter. The plan of operation must include: (1) a budget for the program, including salaries; (2) a…

Sec. 107.305. PROGRAM DIRECTOR; PERSONNEL. (a) Unless a program uses a review committee appointed under Section 107.306, a program under this subchapter must be directed by a person who: (1) is a member of the State Bar of Texas; (2) has practiced law for at least three years; an…

Sec. 107.306. REVIEW COMMITTEE. (a) The governmental entity, nonprofit corporation, or local bar association operating a program may appoint a review committee of three or more individuals to approve attorneys for inclusion on the program's public appointment list. (b) Each membe…

Sec. 107.307. APPOINTMENT FROM PROGRAM'S PUBLIC APPOINTMENT LIST. (a) The judge of a county served by a program shall make any appointment required under Section 107.012 or 107.013 in a suit filed in the county by a governmental entity seeking termination of the parent-child rela…

Sec. 107.308. FUNDING OF PROGRAM. (a) A program is entitled to receive money for personnel costs and expenses incurred in amounts set by the commissioners court and paid out of the appropriate county fund or jointly fixed by the commissioners courts and proportionately paid out o…