Relating to procedures for selecting a placement for a child in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services.

SB 2041 requires the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to consider five specific factors when selecting foster care placements for children in its conservatorship. These factors include choosing the least restrictive setting, the closest geographic location to the child's home, the placement's ability to meet the child's identified needs, the child's expressed preferences (when developmentally appropriate), and the placement's ability to support long-term stability. The bill directly affects children in foster care and DFPS decision-makers by mandating these criteria be used in placement decisions. It amends the Family Code to clarify these requirements, effective September 1, 2025. The law does not create new programs but specifies how existing placement decisions must be made.