TX SB2396

Grants owners and operators of residential child detention facilities access to criminal history records from the Department of Public Safety for employees, applicants, contractors, volunteers, and interns, with records limited to employment evaluation purposes and required to be destroyed after 180 days or the end of a probationary period

Defines "residential child detention facility" as a private, non-state-licensed facility operating under federal contracts (ICE, HHS, or other federal agencies) to provide 24-hour custody or care for unaccompanied immigrant or refugee children

Requires facilities to enter into memorandums of understanding with local municipalities or counties by December 1, 2025, mandating illness reporting to local health authorities, emergency evacuation plans, education plans for children, and quarterly compliance and safety inspection reports

Mandates facilities to provide monthly occupancy records and quarterly summaries of all incident reports and significant incident reports to local police departments or sheriff's offices

Requires criminal background checks on all facility personnel if at least 10% of operating expenses come from state funding, with non-compliant facilities losing state funding eligibility until a public audit is completed