By: Bowers H.B. No. 2902       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the establishment of the Supported Independent Living   Program.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 264, Family Code, is   amended by adding Section 264.133 to read as follows:          Sec. 264.133.  SUPPORTED INDEPENDENT LIVING PROGRAM.  The   department shall establish the supported independent living   program to assist young adults interested in transitioning to   voluntary extended foster care by:                (1)  providing the young adult with an independent   living placement that includes case management and support services   with limited supervision; and                (2)  assisting the young adult with becoming   self-sufficient through:                      (A)  achieving identified educational and   employment goals;                      (B)  accessing community resources;                      (C)  receiving training in life skills; and                      (D)  establishing important relationships.          SECTION 2.  Section 264.121(i), Family Code, is amended to   read as follows:          (i)  The department shall ensure that the transition plan for   each youth 16 years of age or older includes provisions to assist   the youth in managing the youth's housing needs after the youth   leaves foster care, including provisions that:                (1)  identify the cost of housing in relation to the   youth's sources of income, including any benefits or rental   assistance available to the youth;                (2)  if the youth's housing goals include residing with   family or friends, state that the department has addressed the   following with the youth:                      (A)  the length of time the youth expects to stay   in the housing arrangement;                      (B)  expectations for the youth regarding paying   rent and meeting other household obligations;                      (C)  the youth's psychological and emotional   needs, as applicable; and                      (D)  any potential conflicts with other household   members, or any difficulties connected to the type of housing the   youth is seeking, that may arise based on the youth's psychological   and emotional needs;                (3)  inform the youth about emergency shelters and   housing resources, including supported [supervised] independent   living and housing at colleges and universities, such as   dormitories;                (4)  require the department to review a common rental   application with the youth and ensure that the youth possesses all   of the documentation required to obtain rental housing; and                (5)  identify any individuals who are able to serve as   cosigners or references on the youth's applications for housing.          SECTION 3.  Sections 264.1214(a) and (f), Family Code, are   amended to read as follows:          (a)  For a youth who will voluntarily enter extended foster   care on the youth's 18th birthday, the youth's caseworker shall, not   later than six months before the youth's 18th birthday, complete   any necessary transitional living or supported [supervised]   independent living paperwork to ensure the youth has housing on the   date the youth enters extended foster care. Not later than the 90th   day before the youth's 18th birthday, the caseworker shall review   the qualifications and requirements for the youth's housing.          (f)  The department shall assist a youth living in a   supported [supervised] independent living program arrangement to   develop a rental history by allowing the youth to cosign the lease   for the youth's housing provided the property owner does not   object.          SECTION 4.  Section 411.114(a)(3), Government Code, is   amended to read as follows:                (3)  In addition to the criminal history record   information the Department of Family and Protective Services or the   Health and Human Services Commission is required to obtain under   Subdivision (2), the Department of Family and Protective Services   or the Health and Human Services Commission, as applicable, is   entitled to obtain criminal history record information as provided   by Subdivision (4) that relates to a person who is:                      (A)  an applicant for a position with the   Department of Family and Protective Services or the Health and   Human Services Commission regardless of the duties of the position,   including a position described by Subdivision (2)(D);                      (B)  a Department of Family and Protective   Services employee or a Health and Human Services Commission   employee regardless of the duties of the employee's position,   including an employee described by Subdivision (2)(H);                      (C)  a volunteer or applicant volunteer with the   Department of Family and Protective Services or the Health and   Human Services Commission regardless of the duties to be performed,   including a registered volunteer;                      (D)  an employee of, an applicant for employment   with, or a volunteer or an applicant volunteer with an entity or   person who contracts with the Department of Family and Protective   Services or the Health and Human Services Commission, as   applicable, and has access to confidential information in that   department's or commission's records, if the employee, applicant,   volunteer, or applicant volunteer has or will have access to that   confidential information;                      (E)  a person living in the residence in which the   alleged victim of the report resides, including an alleged   perpetrator in a report described by Subdivision (2)(I);                      (F)  a person providing, at the request of the   child's parent, in-home care for a child who is the subject of a   report alleging the child has been abused or neglected;                      (G)  a person providing, at the request of the   child's parent, in-home care for a child only if the person gives   written consent to the release and disclosure of the information;                      (H)  a child who is related to the caretaker, as   determined under Section 42.002, Human Resources Code, or any other   person who resides in, is present in, or has unsupervised access to   a child in the care of a facility or family home;                      (I)  a relative of a child in the care of the   Department of Family and Protective Services or the Health and   Human Services Commission, as applicable, to the extent necessary   to comply with Section 162.007, Family Code;                      (J)  a person providing or applying to provide   in-home, adoptive, or foster care for children to the extent   necessary to comply with Subchapter B, Chapter 162, Family Code;                      (K)  a person who volunteers to supervise   visitation under Subchapter B, Chapter 263, Family Code;                      (L)  an employee of or volunteer at, or an   applicant for employment with or to be a volunteer at, an entity   that provides supported [supervised] independent living services   to a young adult receiving extended foster care services from the   Department of Family and Protective Services or the Health and   Human Services Commission, as applicable;                      (M)  a person 14 years of age or older who will be   regularly or frequently working or staying in a host home that is   providing supported [supervised] independent living services to a   young adult receiving extended foster care services from the   Department of Family and Protective Services or the Health and   Human Services Commission, as applicable;                      (N)  a volunteer or applicant volunteer with a   local affiliate in this state of Big Brothers Big Sisters of   America;                      (O)  a volunteer or applicant volunteer with an   organization that provides court-appointed volunteer advocates for   abused or neglected children; or                      (P)  an employee, volunteer, or applicant   volunteer of a children's advocacy center under Subchapter E,   Chapter 264, Family Code, including a member of the governing board   of a center.          SECTION 5.  Section 40.081(a), Human Resources Code, is   amended to read as follows:          (a)  In furtherance of department duties under Section   40.002(d), the department shall to the greatest extent possible   develop capacity for placement settings that are eligible for   federal financial participation under 42 U.S.C. Section 672,   including settings:                (1)  specializing in providing prenatal, postpartum,   or parenting support for youth;                (2)  providing high-quality residential care and   supportive services to children and youth who this state has   reasonable cause to believe are, or who are at risk of being, sex   trafficking victims in accordance with 42 U.S.C. Section   671(a)(9)(C);                (3)  providing supported [supervised] independent   living for young adults;                (4)  offering residential family-based substance abuse   treatment as described by 42 U.S.C. Section 672(j); and                (5)  serving as a qualified residential treatment   program.          SECTION 6.  Not later than January 1, 2026, the Department of   Family and Protective Services shall change any informational   materials related to the supervised independent living program to   reflect the supported independent living program name.          SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.