Texas House Bill HB 4870

Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

• Filed: 3/13/25
• Out of House Committee: 5/5/25
• Voted on by House: 5/12/25

Caption

Relating to a relative and kinship care grant program administered by the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System.

Summary

HB 4870 creates a new relative and kinship care grant program within the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System. The program is intended to fund eligible nonprofit organizations that provide legal assistance to relatives or kinship caregivers who are taking on care of a child and whose household income is at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty level. The bill defines the kinds of legal help that may be supported, including advice and assistance with consent to treatment, authorization agreements for nonparent caregivers, temporary authorizations for care of a minor, suits affecting the parent-child relationship, and other related legal documents or proceedings. The bill directs the Office of Court Administration to administer the program using appropriated or otherwise available funds, and it authorizes the office to accept gifts, grants, and donations for the program. It also requires grant contracts to preserve sufficient state control to ensure the public purpose is met, and it allows the office to adopt rules governing eligibility, applications, grant amounts, evaluation, and monitoring. The act would take effect immediately if approved by a two-thirds vote in each chamber; otherwise, it takes effect September 1, 2025.

Impact

HB 4870 would add Section 72.03951 to the Government Code and expand the Office of Court Administration’s responsibilities by creating a state grant program for legal services tied to kinship and relative caregiving. It would not directly change Family Code procedures, but it would support access to existing legal mechanisms under Chapters 32, 34, and 35 and Title 5 of the Family Code by helping caregivers obtain legal advice and documentation needed to assume care of a child. The bill affects nonprofit legal aid providers, relative and kinship caregivers, and low-income families seeking to formalize caregiving arrangements.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have generally favorable legislative support, as reflected by strong House vote margins on second reading and on postponed business. The available context does not include committee testimony or recorded debate, but the broad bipartisan-looking vote totals suggest the measure was not highly controversial in the House. Its focus on legal assistance for caregivers and children likely contributed to the positive reception.

Contention

The main policy questions likely center on the scope and administration of the grant program rather than its overall purpose. Potential points of contention include the use of state funds for nonprofit grants, the income threshold set at 400 percent of the federal poverty level, the breadth of legal services covered, and how much discretion the Office of Court Administration should have in setting eligibility and monitoring compliance. No specific opposing arguments or named critics are provided in the available discussion materials.