For more than 30 years, Lone Star CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) has worked to provide our courts with the information needed to act in the best interests of abused and neglected children in Rockwall and Kaufman Counties, and to ensure that they’re placed in safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible.

Advocate for Legislation

89th Legislative Session Bill Outcomes

 Lone Star CASA supported these bills, emailed legislators about the rationale for implementation, and met with the legislators in Austin to urge them to push this bill through.

HB 500 -Victim of Crime Act (VOCA) was fully funded at $177 million

 This bill is Effective Immediately. Lone Star CASA specifically emailed a call to action to the offices of Representative Pierson, Representative Bell, and Senator Hall to support the Victim of Crime Act (VOCA) funding at the House level, which would maintain funding for organizations like Lone Star CASA that serve victims of crime at current levels. We emphasized that ninety-two percent of children in their constituency returned to family/family friends in 2024, and reducing VOCA funding would suffocate the volunteer’s capability to protect the goal of permanency for the child. 

SB 2165 – by Parker

This bill is Effective Immediately. This bill prohibits courts from dismissing suits while a child in foster care is missing or on runaway.

SB 1398 – by Kolkhorst

This bill is Effective Immediately. This bill strengthens Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) oversight of Community Based Care, adds additional performance metrics for the SSCCs and requires a community advisory committee. Lone Star CASA also provided empirical case examples of why privatizing Family Based Safety Services (FBSS) may not be in the best interests of the child at this time. FBSS privatization language was taken out of the bill.

HB 4655 – by Hull

This bill is Effective Immediately. Adds more instructional requirements under PAL (preparation for adult living) related to credit scores, balanced budgets, opening bank accounts, accessing benefits, and the dangers of predatory lending.

HB 1211 – by Lujan

This bill is Effective Immediately. Changes the age requirement by which young adults who age out of foster care must access the tuition and fee waiver. The final bill language increased the age from 25 to 27. Texas CASA Public Policy Team believes we will need a new Senate Education Committee Chair in order to remove the impediment completely; however, it’s still a win for youth overall.
View Texas CASA Bills Here