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

Bills at a Glance

  • HB 741: provides monetary assistance for a kinship caregiver that must be equal to the department’s minimum daily foster care reimbursement rate for a child. 
  • SB 1589 and HB 5415: authorizes the Department at the Department’s sole discretion to reclaim the case management authority over any or all of the cases in a catchment area from the Single Source Continuum Contractor or transfer the case management authority over cases from the SSCC to another SSCC. 
  • HB 1211 and SB 166: removes the current condition that a youth who ages out of foster care must enroll in an institution of higher education as an undergraduate student or in a dual credit course by age 25 in order to receive the tuition and fee waiver exemption.
  • SB 364 and HB 2834: eliminates the restrictive language for the tuition and fee waiver exemption to youth who were under permanent managing conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services “on or after September 1, 2009.”
  • HB 215 and SB 200: provides kinship caregivers with the requisite child support rights and benefits through assignment by the Department of Family and Protective Services.
  • HB 330: permits discretion by a pre-natal, mental health or other medical professional in making a report that a parent used a controlled substance during pregnancy. 
  • HB 277 and SB 165: encourages eligible students to claim their tuition and fee waiver exemptions at public institutions by requiring school counselors for 9th-12th grade to notify students in foster care about the waiver.
  • SB 602 and HB 4655: requires the Department to ensure a transition plan for youth 16 years old and older to receive their preparation for adult living and independent living information including social security benefits and supplemental nutrition assistance

Explore the Texas CASA Bill Tracker
Stay informed with the latest updates on key bills, including Family Preservation, Kinship, Older Youth, and Placement Bills. The tracker is continuously updated throughout the 89th Legislative Session.

Bill Tracker

Take Action for CASA Kids

Step 1: Find your Representative. https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home. 
 
Step 2: Use our email letter template to ask your representative to prioritize CASA Children.
Template for General Public
Template for CASA Volunteers

Have any questions regarding legislative advocacy?

Please feel free to reach out to us using any of the methods below: