Relating to the payment of support rights and benefits for a child placed with a relative or other designated caregiver.

HB 1046 ensures that relatives or designated caregivers who have a child placed with them by Texas child welfare authorities (the Department of Family and Protective Services) can receive the child’s support rights and government benefits on their behalf. The bill requires the department to assign these rights to the caregiver and designate them as the representative payee for programs like Supplemental Security Income (SSI). This change directly affects caregivers of children in state-placed foster care, streamlining access to financial support without requiring additional court orders. The law takes effect on September 1, 2025, and applies to all children placed with caregivers under the department’s supervision.