H.B. No. 3597 amends the Human Resources Code to establish new public hearing requirements for issuing licenses or expanding certain residential child-care facilities in counties with populations under 500,000. The bill specifies that before the commission can issue a license or certificate for the operation or expansion of a general residential operation, cottage home operation, or continuum-of-care residential operation, the applicant must conduct a public hearing at their own expense. This hearing must comply with commission rules, and the applicant is required to notify the commission of the hearing's details and publish a notice in a local newspaper.

The bill also updates the population threshold for these requirements, increasing it from 300,000 to 500,000. This change aims to ensure that smaller communities have a voice in the licensing process for child-care facilities. The act is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Human Resources Code 42.0461 (Human Resources Code 42)
House Committee Report: Human Resources Code 42.0461 (Human Resources Code 42)
Engrossed: Human Resources Code 42.0461 (Human Resources Code 42)
Senate Committee Report: Human Resources Code 42.0461 (Human Resources Code 42)
Enrolled: Human Resources Code 42.0461 (Human Resources Code 42)