This Session, we worked with our Board and Advocacy Committee to develop priorities and key issues, we tracked more bills than ever before, our members testified before State decision-makers, and YOU joined us every step of the way. You showed up on behalf of Texas kids and families to set the stage for our Legislators to make this one of our most effective Sessions yet.
This is our Legislative Toolkit that will provide a session wrap-up, including information on budget details, major funding initiatives, individual bills that have passed, and the effect to kids and families in Texas.
Big Wins for Texas Foster Care
Strengthening Families
TAFCFS strongly supported a clear investment in policy and funding that supports keeping families safe, strong, and together.
-
SB 24 Prevention
SB 24 transfers the Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) program from DFPS to a broader Family Services division at HHSC. PEI programs were sustained and expanded to serve more at-risk families.
-
HB 1 Kinship Care
Kinship families were prioritized in the budget, receiving additional resources to provide funds for concrete needs and to reimburse licensure costs for families. Pending federal direction, the Legislature also directed agencies to expedite the development and adoption of rules to facilitate an improved verification process, ultimately resulting in more resources for kin and improved state reimbursement.
-
HB 1 Heart Galleries
A broad expansion for Heart Galleries was funded in HB 1, a community-driven program that aims to identify loving, forever homes for kids and youth lingering in the system.
Mental Health
The Legislature invested a historic amount of funding into mental and behavioral health programs across the state to increase providers, access, and services.
-
HB 1 Treatment
SB 24 transfers the Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) program from DFPS to a broader Family Services division at HHSC. PEI programs were sustained and expanded to serve more at-risk families.
-
SB 26 Grants
SB 26 Creates the Mental Health Innovation Grant Program that will be open to agencies that provide services to children, families, and children in or at risk of placement in foster care to develop evidence-based programs.
-
HB 400 Grants
HB 400 (Klick) establishes several grant programs to increase adult and pediatric psychiatric care, and for institutions of higher education that recruit, train, and retain more mental health professionals.
Oversight and Regulation
TACFS advocated for policies that supported a transparent, efficient, and accountable child welfare system.
-
SB 593 Reform
SB 593 (Sparks) was a TACFS priority. This bill requires a third-party assessment of minimum standards, contract provisions, and rules governing the provision of foster care and adoptive services. This legislation is the first step to improving licensing and regulatory functions.
-
SB 1447 Investigations
SB1447 (Miles) requires DFPS to develop an improved training program that would increase the quality of investigations.
-
SB 1849 Staffing
SB 1849 (Kolkhorst) creates a multi-agency offense database along with SB 1469 (Bettencourt) which would require an affidavit of prospective, these bills will ensure greater transparency in the hiring process.
-
HB 4233 Training
HB 4233 (Zweiner) provides guidance on training for runaway prevention for each foster and adoptive parent. This training is intended only for youth 10 and older and can be included as part of existing licensing training or offered in lieu of required training that is not relevant based on the age of the child.
Capacity and Quality
As providers across the state have been focused on quality and innovation to improve outcomes for children and families, the state has made historic investments to continue to fund these important changes.
-
HB 1 Rates
For the first time in more than 35 years, the Legislature has fully approved and funded the modernization of Texas’ Foster Care Rate Methodology in the budget. This was a key multi-Session initiative for the TACFS network – it's a big deal! Not only did the state receive funding to make changes necessary to implement new methodology, it received funds for provider implementation grants, and funding to pay rates using the new methodology beginning in 2025, they also received funds for sustained supplemental rates and additional funds to act as a “bridge” to rate modernization. These funds will allow our network to focus on the individual needs of children, promote better outcomes, and support high quality settings.
-
SB 1379 Independent Living
SB 1379 (Parker) establishes a Foster Youth Financial Pilot to assist foster youth in achieving financial security and independence as they transition to independent living. The pilot would assist these youth in opening savings and checking accounts.
-
SB 1930 Placement
SB 1930 (Kolkhorst) requires Judges, Guardians ad Litem, and Attorneys ad Litem to review placements residential settings. This language represents multiple stakeholders supporting high-quality placements for kids in less-restrictive settings.
-
HB 1 CSEY
Continued prioritization of programs that prevent and support survivors of child sex trafficking through the Office of the Governor.
88R Bill Tracker
We tracked a record number of bills this session. Filter, sort, and search below by topic below to view bills that passed or failed relating to Texas foster care. Click the bill number to see the text of the bill.
