S.B. No. 1148 amends the Human Resources Code to establish new training requirements for caregivers of children, including foster parents. The bill reduces the maximum amount of preservice training required for potential caregivers from 35 hours to 20 hours, ensuring that both the department and child-placing agencies provide competency-based training before verifying or approving caregivers as foster or adoptive homes. Additionally, the bill introduces annual training requirements, mandating that caregivers complete up to 10 hours of competency-based training on relevant subjects affecting foster parenting and the needs of children in care prior to licensure renewal.

Furthermore, the bill allows foster parents to waive the daily reimbursement rate for foster care services, which exempts them from the annual training requirements, except for any necessary training determined by the department or child-placing agency to address the unique needs of the child placed with them, capped at five hours per year. The commissioner and executive commissioner are tasked with collaborating to adopt rules for implementing these new training provisions. The act is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Human Resources Code 42.0537 (Human Resources Code 42)