June2,2015

TheHonorableGregAbbott
GovernoroftheStateofTexas

DearGovernorAbbott:

WewritetoyoutodaytorespectfullyrequestthatyouvetoSB206.PleasenotethatSB200
extendsthesunsetprovisionsfortheTexasDepartmentofFamilyandProtectiveServices.SB206wasa
sincere,butunsuccessfulattempttoimprovethesystem.

We,alongwiththenonprofitgroupsrepresentedbelow,haveworkedmanyhoursthroughoutthe
sessiontoimproveandmodifySB206.Wehavedonesowiththeassistanceandadviceoftwofamily
lawattorneyswhohavehandledcasesinvolvingtheDepartmentofFamilyandProtectiveServicesfor
years,oneofwhomhasbeenboardcertifiedinfamilylawforovertwenty(20)years.Itisnosecretthat
casesinvolvingchildrenwhomayhavebeensubjectedtoabuseandneglectareoftheutmostimportance
andthattheprocesstohandlethesecasesneedsnumerousimprovements.Nevertheless,thisbilldoes
littletoaddressthoseissues.Infact,insomeinstances,itactuallymakesthatprocessworse.Despiteour
manyeffortstoimprovethelanguageandofferamendmentsuptotheverylastminute,thebillwas
passedwithoutimprovement.ThechangescurrentlyincludedinSB206aredetrimentaltotherightsand
wellbeingofparents,children,andTexasfamilies.Thelengthofthebillprecludesadetailedreviewof
alloftheproblems.Therefore,wewilllimitourcommentstothemostalarming,asfollows:

1.Thebillprovidesthatclientsandnottheircounselwillreceivenoticeofhearings.(See,Section
263.0021,page26,containingthelistofindividualsentitledtonotice).

2.Thebillstatutorilyaddressestheproblemofcomplyingwiththedeadlinestopermitanextensionof
thecaseintheeventofthegrantingofanewtrialorremandonappeal.
See

InreDepartmentofFamily
andProtectiveServices
,273S.W.3d637(Tex.2009).Itfails,however,toaddresstheportionofthat
holdingthatconcludedthatthedeadlinesarenotjurisdictional.
Id
.RepresentativeHughesproposedto
correctthisdeficiencywithAmendment3,whichpassedon
third
readingonMay18,2015,butwhich
leadershipdemandednotbeofferedonMay26,2015,tosalvageaprolifebillthatwasneverreached.
Thedeadlineswereoriginallyenactedtopreventchildrenfromlanguishinginfostercare.Infact,the
oneyeardeadlinewastheresultofrecommendationsmadein1997bytheSupremeCourtofTexasTask
ForceonFosterCare,whichwaschairedbyJudgeJohnSpecia,thecurrentCommissioneroftheTexas
DepartmentofFamilyandProtectiveServices.
TexasFamilyCodeAnnotated2012
,SampsonTindall,
commentpage1091.Undercurrentlaw,eveninextraordinarycircumstances,achildcouldnotbekeptin
fostercareformorethaneighteen(18)months.Thisbillhasthepotentialtoextendthattimebyyears
whileleavingcourtsemboldenedtoignorewhatdeadlinesdoexist,becausethelanguagewasnot
correctedtodeprivecourtsofjurisdictionandauthoritytoactbeyondthosedeadlines.Withoutthis
amendment,judgeshavenorealincentivetogivethesecasestheprioritythattheydeserve.Thevictimsof

thispartiallegislationarethefosterchildrenwhoarecaughtinlimbowheretheycannotgohomeand
cannotbeadopted.

3.Thisbillprovidesnumerousexcusesfornotcomplyingwiththecurrentlawwhichrequiresthe
interviewofachildtoberecorded.(Section19,page17,beginningatline26).Thechildcannotrefuse
theinterviewentirely,buttheworkermayclaimthatthechildrefusedtoberecorded.Withoutthe
recording,thereisnoguaranteethatthechild(whomaynotbeoldenoughtotestify,doesnothavea
parentpresenttoprotecthisorherinterests,andmostlikelyhasnotevenbeenappointedanadlitem)has
beeninterviewedinaforensicallyacceptablemanner.Nevertheless,theseinterviewsareoftentreatedas
outcriesand,therefore,anexceptiontothehearsayrule.Additionally,itdoesnotrequirethedepartment
torecordtheinterviewofthechildregardinganyotherissue.Thisisfrighteningbecausecaseworkers
routinelyquestionthechildrenaboutallsortsofotherfactsrelatingtotheirlivesathomethatareoften
completelyunrelatedtotheallegationbeinginvestigated.

4.Thebillfailstoprotectthereligiousandconsciencelibertiesofworkers,fosterparents,and
prospectiveadoptiveparents.RepresentativeSanfordproposedtoaddressthisdeficiencywith
Amendment4,whichpassedon
third
readingonMay18,2015,butwhichleadershipdemandednotbe
offeredonMay26,2015.Althoughthiswascalledanantigayamendment,therewasnothinginthe
amendmentthatprohibitedindividualsfromplacingchildreninsamesexhomes.Insteaditprotected
individualswhosedecisionsregardingachildsbestinterest,mightbebasedinwholeorinpartonthat
individualsreligiousbelief.Theseopinionswouldhaveincludedabeliefthatchildrenshouldonlybe
placedwithmarriedcoupleswhocouldprovidethechildwithbothamotherandafatherfigure,ortonot
permitathirteen(13)yearoldgirltohaveanabortion.Itdefinitelywouldhaveprotectedinstitutionssuch
astheCatholicChurchfromhavingtocloseitsadoptionagencies.Therehavealreadybeeninstances
aroundthecountrywhereadoptionagenciesthathaveservedtheircommunitiesfordecadeshavebeen
forcedtoclose.Giventhesignificantdeficiencyoffosterandadoptivehomes,itissenselesstoexclude
evenonegoodhomebasedonthereligiousbeliefsofthathomeortheworkerfacilitatingtheplacement.
Additionally,therewasmuchtalkthroughoutthesessionandevenduringthefinalhearingonthisbill
regardingthelackofqualifiedworkers.Texascannotaffordtodisqualifygiftedindividualscalledtothis
worksolelybecausethoseindividualshavedeeplyheldreligiousbeliefs.

5.Thisbillpermitsterminationofparentalrightsforaconvictioninanotherjurisdiction.(Section11,
page9,beginningonline12).Thiswouldincludestateswhereevenminimaldueprocessprotections
promisedbytheFederalConstitutionarenotguaranteed.

6.Thebillextendsthenumberofdaysforthedepartmenttoarrangeavisitforthechildrenwiththeir
parents.Innumerousinstancesitislaterdeterminedthat,infact,theparentswerenotabusivetotheir
children.Evenininstanceswhereabusehasoccurred,thechildrenoftendonotunderstandthedynamics.
Theyonlyknowthattheyareinstrangesurroundingwithstrangepeopleandthattheymisstheirparents.
Theparentsareoftentheonesbestabletoprovidethechildrenwithasensethatthesituationwillbe
resolvedandtheyarestillloved.

7.Thisbillpermitsthesharingofjuvenilerecords.(Section6,page5,beginningonline15).Juvenile
recordsaresealed.Itisacommonpracticeofthedepartmenttousetherecordsofachildincareagainst
anadultonceheorsheagesoutofthesystem.Evenifthedepartmentislimitedastowhenitcanprovide
theserecordstothirdparties,thereisnolimitationonitsownuseofrecordsthatwouldnototherwisebe
available.

8.Ironically,althoughtheoverallpurposeofthebillpurportstobetheimprovementoftheagencys
performance,thebilleliminatestheconcretestandardsbywhichprogressonaninvestigationismeasured.
(Section20,page19,beginningonline11).

WeknowtheOfficeoftheGovernorhasalonghistoryofensuringthatthelegislationofthis
stateprotectstheparentchildrelationshipasconstitutionallymandatedbybothfederalandstate
precedent.Wearehopefulthattraditionwillcontinue.Pleasevetothisbillandrequirethelegislatureto
addresstheconcernsofallthepartiesinthesesuits.Theparentsandchildrenwhoarenotprotectedby
thisbillmerittheeffort.

Thankyouforyourkindconsiderationoftheseconcerns.

Yourstruly,

CathieAdams,
PresidentTexasEagleForum.

TimLambert,President,
TexasHomeschoolCoalition

JoAnnFleming,ExecutiveDirector,
GrassrootsAmericaWethePeople

CenterforthePreservationofAmericanIdeals

JonathanSaenz,President,TexasValues

AnnHettinger,ConcernedWomenforAmerica

CeciliaM.Wood
AttorneyandCounseloratLaw,P.C.
BoardCertifiedFamilyLawAttorney

ChrisBranson,
AttorneyandCounseloratLaw,P.C.
SpecialcounselforTexasHomeSchoolCoalition
onChildProtectiveServicesissues

JohanaScot,ExecutiveDirector,Parent
GuidanceCenter

CarolEverett,President,
HeidiGroup