HB 1460

relating to the establishment of a task force to locate relatives
and certain individuals and to the procedures for providing notice
to certain individuals on placement of a child in the managing
conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 262, Family Code, is
amended by adding Section 262.1091 to read as follows:
Sec. 262.1091.  TASK FORCE TO IDENTIFY AND LOCATE RELATIVES
AND CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS.  (a) In this section:
(1)  "Department" means the Department of Family and
(2)  "Task force" means the task force created under
(b)  The department shall establish a task force for the
purpose of identifying and locating:
(1)  relatives of each child who the department or
another governmental entity takes possession of under this chapter;
(2)  any individual who has a long-standing and
significant relationship with a child described by Subdivision (1).
(c)  The task force is composed of 15 members as follows:
(1)  one member from the Department of Public Safety,
appointed by the director of the Department of Public Safety;
(2)  one member of the criminal investigations division
of the office of the attorney general, appointed by the attorney
(3)  one member from the municipal police department of
each of the six most populous municipalities in this state,
appointed by the police chief of the municipal police department;
(4)  seven members appointed by the commissioner of the
(A)  active, non-active, or retired police
detectives who have been employed as a detective for at least 10
years and have experience working with special victims; or
(B)  private investigators who:
(i)  are licensed in this state;
(ii)  are in good standing with the
(iii)  have at least 10 years of
(iv)  have experience working with special
(d)  Each appointing authority may confer with the office of
the governor when considering candidates for the task force.
(1)  begin locating and identifying each individual
described by Section 262.1095(a) not later than 24 hours after the
department or another governmental entity takes possession of a
(2)  use due diligence to identify and locate all
individuals described by Section 262.1095(a) not later than 72
hours after the department files a suit affecting the parent-child
(3)  in order to identify and locate the individuals
described by Section 262.1095(a), seek information from:
(A)  each parent, relative, and alleged father of
(B)  the child in an age-appropriate manner; and
(4)  immediately notify the department when an
individual described by Section 262.1095(a) is identified and
(f)  The failure of a parent or alleged father of the child to
complete the proposed child placement resources form does not
relieve the task force of its duty to seek information from each
person described by Subsection (e)(3) to identify individuals
described by Section 262.1095(a).
(g)  The commissioner of the department and the internal
audit division of the department shall supervise and provide
administrative support to the task force.
SECTION 2.  Section 262.1095, Family Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:
(f)  Not later than 120 hours after the department files a
suit affecting the parent-child relationship, the department shall
report to the child's state representative, the child's state
(A)  identified all of the individuals related to
the child within the fourth degree by consanguinity as determined
under Chapter 573, Government Code; and
(B)  contacted each individual and provided the
information required by Subsection (a); and
(2)  the reason the department failed to contact an
individual described by Subdivision (1)(A).
SECTION 3.  Subchapter B, Chapter 262, Family Code, is
amended by adding Section 262.117 to read as follows:
Sec. 262.117.  REPORTING INFORMATION ON RELATIVE
PLACEMENTS.  Not later than February 1 of each year, the department
shall report to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker
of the house of representatives, and each member of the legislature
the following information with respect to cases in which the
department was named managing conservator of a child during the
(1)  the total percentage of individuals identified as
being related to the child within the fourth degree by
consanguinity as determined under Chapter 573, Government Code, the
department was unable to contact as required by Section 262.1095
and the reason the department was unable to contact each
(2)  the percentage of children in the conservatorship
of the department who were placed with a relative or other
(3)  the percentage of children in the conservatorship
of the department who were placed in foster care;
(4)  the total number of children in the
conservatorship of the department who were placed with a relative
(5)  the total number of children in the
conservatorship of the department who were placed in foster care
and, for each child, the reasons the department did not place the
child with a relative or other designated caregiver; and
(6)  any legislative or other recommendations to ensure
the department contacts all of a child's relatives identified under
SECTION 4.  Sections 262.1095(d) and (e), Family Code, are
SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.