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Priority Report- Colorado Association of Family & Children's Agencies
HB1032 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CRISIS RESPONSE SERVICES
Rep. Frangas & Sen. Boyd
Health Care Task Force. This bill requires the department of human services to enter into a contract with a
nonprofit entity for the provision of initial triage services through a coordinated and integrated crisis response
system for persons experiencing mental health or substance abuse crisis. The system services that are contracted
for may include, but need not be limited to, services for a telephone hotline operating 24 hours per day and 7
days per week, services provided through an integrated information technology system, and services provided
by community-based crisis centers that provide short-term mental health services to persons in crisis. This bill
requires the department to maintain policy-making authority over services provided pursuant to the contract,
monitor contract compliance, and evaluate the performance of the contracting entity. The contracting entity shall
comply with federal regulations and reporting requirements. The contracting entity shall provide the department
with information concerning persons receiving services in accordance with federal and state confidentiality laws
and the data and information necessary for the department to monitor and evaluate the contracting entity. The
department shall not be required to contract for the system if the system is not cost-effective for the state, if the
system services are not appropriate to address the needs of persons in crisis, or if the system services may be
provided in a different manner. The bill requires the department to report annually to the health and human
services committees of the general assembly concerning the services provided through the contract.
Status House Appropriations
Position Active Monitor
HB1059 DRIVER ED MINORS AFFIDAVIT OF LIABILITY
Rep. Gagliardi & Sen. Newell
The bill clarifies that a minor who is 15 years of age or older and in the foster care system (minor) is not
required to complete and present an affidavit of liability (affidavit) in order to register for a department of
revenue-approved driver education class prior to applying for a minor's instruction permit (permit). The minor
shall continue to be required to present an affidavit before beginning to drive with a permit.
Status 2nd reading in Senate
Position Active Support
HB1065 NO COUNTING JUV ESCAPE TOWARD COMPLETION
Rep. McCann & Sen. Tochtrop
The bill prohibits counting any time that a juvenile may spend on escape status toward completion of the
juvenile's commitment.
Status Passed Senate as amended
Position Active Monitor
HB1106 CHILD WELFARE ADOPTION MULTIETHNIC ACT
Rep. Casso & Sen. Sandoval
To bring Colorado law into compliance with certain provisions of the federal "Social Security Act of 1965", as
amended, the bill requires group home parents and any person working in a 24-hour child care facility to submit
to a federal bureau of investigation fingerprint-based criminal history records check through the Colorado
bureau of investigation. The bill also amends certain statutory provisions to bring them into compliance with the
federal "Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994", as amended. Specifically, the bill:
*Requires a child's best interests to be the primary consideration for a court, county department of social
services, or licensed child placement agency in making determinations concerning the placement of the child for
the purpose of adoption;
*Requires a court, county department of social services, or licensed child placement agency making a foster care
or pre-adoptive placement of a child to give preference to placement with the child's relative if the child's
relative can safely meet the child's needs;
*Requires an agency that has responsibility for placing children out of the home to recruit and retain prospective
foster and adoptive families from communities that reflect the child's racial, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic
background;
*Prohibits a court, county department of social services, or licensed child placement agency, in making
determinations concerning the placement of a child for the purpose of adoption, from considering the racial or
ethnic background, color, or national origin of either the child or a family who has submitted an application to
adopt except in extraordinary circumstances;
*Prohibits a court, county department of social services, or licensed child placement agency from delaying a
foster or adoptive placement of a child as a result of the racial or ethnic background, color, or national origin of
the child or a family who has submitted an application to adopt; and
*Allows a birth parent to designate a specific applicant with whom he or she wishes to place his or her child for
purposes of adoption in private adoption cases.
Status Senate Health and Human Services
Position Active Amend
HB1115 COUNTY ASSESSMENT OF COST CORE SERVICES
Rep. Gagliardi & Sen. Scheffel
Under current law, a family that receives child welfare services, including core services identified by rule of the
department of human services (department), is required to pay a fee for those services. The department
establishes the fee amount by rule. The bill allows a county department of social services, in the best interest of a
child, to exempt a family from responsibility for payment of the fee established for core services that are
provided to that family.
Status Senate Health and Human Services
Position Active Monitor
HB1183 ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL FINANCE MODELS
Rep. Middleton
The bill creates the alternative school funding models pilot program (pilot program) to encourage school
districts and charter schools to collect data that will be used to compare the effects of alternative school funding
models with those of the actual school funding method. A school district or charter school that chooses to
participate in the pilot program will continue to receive its actual funding as provided in the "Public School
Finance Act of 1994" while participating in the pilot program. A school district or charter school that
participates in the pilot program may accept gifts, grants, and donations to offset the costs incurred. An advisory
council, consisting of selected members of the general assembly, selected members of the state board of
education (state board), selected members representing school districts and school executives, and the
commissioner of education, will review applications submitted by school districts and charter schools to
participate in the pilot program and will select the participants. A participating school district or charter school
must participate in the pilot program for a minimum of 2 school years and will annually submit to the advisory
council the data it collects, including identification of the funding differences the school district or charter
school would experience if it were funded under an alternative school funding model. The advisory council will
submit to the state board, the governor, and the general assembly an annual summary report of the data received
from the pilot program participants. The advisory council may accept and expend gifts, grants, donations, and
services in kind to offset the costs incurred in implementing the pilot program. The pilot program will repeal on
July 1, 2015.
Status Senate Education
Position Active Monitor
HB1213 INDIVIDUALIZED PLANS DEVELOPMENTAL DISABLED WAIT LIST
Rep. Acree & Sen. Keller
The bill eliminates the statutory requirement that an individualized plan be created within 30 days after a person
with developmental disabilities is determined to be eligible for services and supports and eliminates the annual
review of an individualized plan for a person with developmental disabilities who is on the waiting list for
services or supports. A community centered board is required to develop an individualized plan for a person
with developmental disabilities when the person is enrolled into a program. The department of human services is
required to promulgate rules concerning the procedures and criteria for developing an individualized plan and
the type of contact a community centered board must maintain with individuals who are on the waiting list for
developmental disabilities services and supports.
Status House Health & Human Services
Position Monitor
HB1226 DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSES TO CHILD ABUSE
Rep. Kefalas & Sen. Spence
The bill creates the differential response pilot program (pilot program) for certain county departments of social
services (participating county departments) to use in addressing interfamilial abuse or neglect cases that are
deemed to be of low or moderate risk according to an assessment performed by each participating county
department. The state department of human services (state department) and participating county departments
shall administer the pilot program. The participating county departments, in administering the pilot program,
shall cooperate with local community service organizations in addressing known or suspected incidents of
interfamilial abuse or neglect. The state board of human services may promulgate rules for the administration of
the pilot program. The participating county departments shall each prepare and submit to the state department a
report concerning the county department's administration of the pilot program. The state department shall
prepare and submit to the health and human services committees of the house of representatives and senate a
report concerning the administration of the pilot program. The report prepared by the state department, at a
minimum, shall include an evaluation of the pilot program's success or failure, a description of any specific
problems encountered during the administration of the pilot program, and a recommendation as to whether the
general assembly should repeal the pilot program, continue the pilot program for a specific period, or establish
the pilot program statewide on a permanent basis. The pilot program is repealed after 4 years
Status Senate Health and Human Services
Position Active Support
HB1232 SCHOOL BUS VEHICLE
Rep. Baumgardner
The bill defines the term "school vehicle", amends the definition of "school bus", and amends certain statutory
provisions that refer to "school vehicle" and "school bus" to clarify when each term applies.
Status House Education
Position Monitor
HB1266 HEALTH INSURANCE FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND SMALL BUSINESS
Rep. Frangas
The bill allows certain local governments, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations to offer participation in
fully funded state group benefit plans for medical and dental coverages to their employees. The bill:
*Specifies that participation in state group benefit plans for medical and dental coverages is voluntary for local
government, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations and that local government, small business, and
nonprofit organization employees cannot participate in state group benefit plans if their employer has not chosen
to offer participation to its employees.
*Allows the state personnel director to charge an administrative fee to participating local government, small
business, and nonprofit organization employees to cover the state's cost of administering group benefit plans for
local government, small business, and nonprofit organization employees.
*Precludes participating local governments, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations from offering any
other medical and dental benefit coverages to their employees and requires the local governments, small
businesses, and nonprofit organizations to agree to participate in state group benefit plans for at least 3 years.
*Requires participating local governments, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations to contribute on behalf
of their participating employees a minimum amount as determined
by the director of the department of personnel (director).
*Requires participating local government, small business, and nonprofit organization employees to comply with
all rules and procedures adopted by the director.
*Allows local governments, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations to determine eligibility of their
employees and their dependents for participation in state group benefit plans for medical and dental coverages.
*Establishes the local government, small business, and nonprofit organization group benefit plans fund in the
state treasury and specifies that the fund contains the premium account and the administration account.
*Specifies that group benefit plan premium costs received by the director for local government, small business,
and nonprofit organization employee premiums shall be deposited into the premium account and that
expenditures shall be made from the premium account for the payment to carriers of premiums, claims costs, and
other administrative fees and costs associated with the group benefit plans for local government, small business,
and nonprofit organization employees.
*Specifies that moneys credited to or expended from the premium account for payment to carriers who provide
fully funded group benefit plans to local government, small business, and nonprofit organization employees do
not constitute state fiscal year spending for purposes of the state constitutional limitation on spending.
Status House Business Affairs & Labor
Position Monitor
HB1274 OUT OF HOME JUVENILE TRANSITION PUB SCH
Rep. Schafer S. & Sen. Johnston
This bill is a result of the Interim Committee on School Safety. The bill requires the department of human
services to provide written notification to a school district, charter school, or institute charter school 10 days
prior to enrollment of a student who has been placed in out-of-home placement and is identified as potentially
presenting a risk to himself or herself or the community. In a case where the student requires an emergency
placement, the bill requires the department to provide written notification to the school 5 days prior to the
student's enrollment. The school is encouraged to use the notification period to gather medical, mental health,
sociological, and scholastic achievement data about the student from various sources to develop a transition plan
for the student.
The department of human services and the department of education are required to enter into an MOU that
includes at a minimum:
(1) A consistent and uniform approach to sharing medical, mental health, sociological, and scholastic
achievement data about students between a school district, charter school, or institute charter school and the
county department of social services to better facilitate the creation of transition plans for those students and
ensure the safety of the people in the school community;
(2) A plan for utilizing existing state and federal data and any existing information-sharing activities;
(3) An appeals process to follow if there is a disagreement between a school district, charter school, or institute
charter school and the county department of social services regarding the enrollment of a student; and
(4) A plan for determining accountability concerning the use of the notification periods and the number of
emergency placements that occur.
Status House Education
Position Active Monitor
HB1277 SEXUAL CONDUCT IN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES
Rep. DelGrosso & Sen. Steadman
Current law prohibits a correctional employee or volunteer from engaging in sexual activity with an inmate. The
bill extends that prohibition to engaging in sexual activity with a person or with a juvenile in a detention or
commitment facility. The bill makes a 5-year appropriation.
Status House Appropriations
Position Active Monitor
HB1286 CORRECTIONS TRANSFERS TO CDPS
Rep. McNulty & Sen. Scheffel
The bill transfers the department of corrections and the division of youth corrections in the department of human
services by a type 2 transfer to the department of public safety. The type 2 transfer will transfer all department of
corrections and division of youth corrections statutory authority, powers, duties, personnel, property, funding,
budgeting, purchasing, and planning to the department of public safety.
Status Killed in committee
Position Oppose
HB1318 MINIMUM STATE AID FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Rep. Pommer & Sen. Tapia
Joint Budget Committee Budget Package Bill. The bill suspends the minimum state aid requirement for the
10/11 through 14/15 budget years. In connection with the suspension, the bill requires the department of
education to submit a report to the joint budget committee and the education committees regarding the estimated
fiscal impact of and the potential number of districts that will be impacted by the reinstatement of the minimum
state aid requirement in the 15/16 budget year. If a supplemental appropriation is not made by the general
assembly to fully fund the state’s share of total program of all districts, including funding for institute charter
schools, or if a supplemental appropriation is made to reduce the state’s share of the total program of all
districts, including funding for institute charter schools, the bill requires the state aid of each district to be
reduced by the amount of the required reduction or the amount of state aid, whichever is less, even if, for the
09/10 budget year of any budget year thereafter, the reduction would result in a district receiving less state aid
than the amount of minimum state aid for the applicable budget year.
The bill allows the state aid of each district to be reduced by the amount of the required reduction or the amount
of state aid, whichever is less, even if, for the 09/10 budget year thereafter, the reduction would result in a
district receiving less state aid than the amount of minimum state aid for the applicable budget year.
Status Concurred with second house amendments
Position Active Monitor
HB1334 PUBLIC INDECENCY AND INDECENT EXPOSURE
Rep. King S. & Sen. Steadman
Under current law, a public act of masturbation is a crime under the public indecency statute and is a class 1
petty offense. This bill moves the offense to the crime of indecent exposure, a class 1 misdemeanor.
The bill expands the definition of the crime of public indecency, which is a class 1 petty offense, to include
knowingly exposing one's genitals in a way that is likely to cause affront or alarm to another person. If a person
has been previously convicted of that same act of public indecency, the bill raises the penalty from a class 1
petty offense to a class 1 misdemeanor.
The bill also expands the definition of the crime of indecent exposure to include exposing one's genitals in
public with the intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desire of any person.
The bill adds a subsequent conviction of one provision of the crime of public indecency to the definition of
"unlawful sexual behavior" for purposes of the sex offender registration statutes.
Status House Appropriations
Position Active Monitor
HB1336 CDPS EXPENDITURES SCHOOL SAFETY
Rep. Schafer S. & Sen. Newell
The bill authorizes the division of criminal justice in the department of public safety (department) to expend any
state, federal, or other moneys made available under any law or program designed to improve the administration
of criminal justice, court systems, law enforcement, prosecution, corrections, probation and parole, juvenile
delinquency programs, and related fields. The bill creates the school safety resource center cash fund (fund) and
authorizes the department to solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations for the purpose of implementing the
school safety resource center (resource center). The department is authorized to expend moneys from the fund
for the purpose of implementing the resource center. The department may expend up to 2% of the moneys
annually appropriated from the fund to offset the costs incurred in implementing the resource center. The
resource center is authorized to charge a fee to each attendee of a training program or conference that the center
implements. The total amount of fees charged by the center to attendees of a training program or conference
shall not exceed the actual costs incurred by the center in implementing the training program or conference.
Status House Appropriations
Position Active Monitor
HB1354 APPROVAL OF LEGISALTIVE INTERIM STUDIES
Rep. Bemnefield and Rep. Looper and Sen. Morse
Add summary
Status House State Affairs
Position Pending Review
SB043 EXTEND REPEAL OFFICE OF CHILD REP
Sen. White and Rep. Pommer
The bill extends for 10 yeares the repeal of the "Office of the Child's Representative Act", which is currently scheduled to repeal on July 1, 2010/
The bill was amended to repeal the repealer.
Status House Judiciary
Position Active Support
SB054 EDUCATION SERVICES FOR JUVENILE CHARGED AS ADULT
Sen. Hudak & Rep. Levy
The bill requires a school district to provide educational services during the school year to a juvenile who is
held, pending trial as an adult, in a jail located within the school district. The school district is also required to
comply with the federal "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" if the juvenile has a disability. A school
district is not required to provide educational services to a juvenile who has already graduated from high school
or to a student who has received a GED, unless the student has a disability. A school district also does not have
to provide educational services if:
*The juvenile refuses to receive the services, but the official in charge of the jail (official) must offer the services
at least weekly and the school district must provide them upon the juvenile's acceptance; or
*The school district or the official determine that an appropriate and safe environment in which to provide the
educational services is not available. If this occurs, the official must notify the juvenile's parents, his or her
attorney, and the court.
The school district that provides the educational services may include the juvenile in its pupil enrollment if the
school district is providing the services as of October 1 or may seek reimbursement from another school district
or charter school if the juvenile was included in the other district's or charter school's pupil enrollment for the
applicable budget year. If the juvenile was not included in the state's pupil enrollment, the school district may
seek reimbursement from the department of education. The school district may also seek excess costs tuition
from the juvenile's school district of residence if the juvenile is receiving special education services.
The official that receives a juvenile for holding pending trial as an adult must request educational services from
the school district in which the jail is located and cooperate with the school district to provide an appropriate
and safe environment in which to provide the services. The official will annually compile specified information
concerning educational services received by the juveniles in the jail and report the information to the division of
criminal justice in the department of public safety. The division of criminal justice will release the information
upon request by a member of the public.
The bill was amended to address the safety of school district employees and contractors. The bill was also
amended to include language to address the process by which a school district employee or contractor may cease
providing educational services to a violent or harm causing juvenile.
Status Senate Appropriations
Position Active Support
SB066 REPORTING OF CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT
Sen. Hudak & Rep. Levy
The bill clarifies that the requirement that certain persons report child abuse or neglect does not apply if a person
does not have reasonable cause to know of or suspect the abuse or neglect until the child is 18 years of age or
older.
Status House Judiciary
Position Active Oppose
SB091 SCHOOL TRANSPARENCY ON-LINE FINANCIAL DATABASE
Sen. Harvey & Rep. Stephens
The bill enacts the "Public School Financial Transparency Act" (act), which requires each school district, district
charter school, board of cooperative services, and institute charter school and the state charter school institute
(local education provider) no later than September 1, 2011, to develop, maintain, and make publicly available a
single, searchable, on-line, revenue and expenditure database (on-line database) that will allow a user to review
at no cost information concerning moneys collected and expended by the local education provider. The act sets
forth the specific information that each on-line database will include. The local education provider must provide
the data in an open, structured data format that allows the user to download and systematically sort, search, and
access all of the data. Each local education provider will update the data at least monthly, archive the data, make
the data easily accessible from the local education provider's web site, and create a link to a service that allows
users to be notified of updates to the on-line database.
Status Senate State Affairs
Position Active Oppose
SB121 DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED OVERSIGNT COMMITTEE AND TASK FORCE
Sen. Bacon & Rep. Primavera
The bill establishes a 6-member legislative oversight committee on developmental disabilities and autism
(committee) and a 25-member task force on developmental disabilities and autism (task force) to examine the
Colorado systems that provide services and supports to and across the life span of persons with developmental
disabilities including autism. The committee will annually report to the general assembly on the issues studied
and may propose legislative changes based on the recommendations from the task force. The chair and vice chair
of the committee will appoint 16 members of the task force. The other 9 members shall be representatives
of specified state agencies appointed by the executive directors of those agencies. All members of the task force
shall be voting members. The task force will examine specific issues related to the services and supports to
persons with developmental disabilities, including autism. The task force is charged with providing guidance
and recommendations to the committee, including studying and making recommendations on strategies to
implement the recommendations of the autism commission that was created in 2008. The task force will obtain
input from groups in the state affected by the issues studied by the task force. The task force may create
subcommittees. The payment of the committee's per diem and the staff support for the committee and the task
force is dependent upon gifts, grants, and donations credited to the legislative department cash fund. The
committee and the task force are repealed, effective July 1, 2016.
Status Senate Health & Human Services
Position Monitor
SB124 MICHAEL SKOLNIK MEDICAL TRANSPARENCY ACT 2010
Sen. Carroll M. & Rep. Ryden
Pursuant to the "Michael Skolnik Medical Transparency Act", enacted in 2007, physicians licensed in Colorado
are required to report information pertaining to their practice history, including the following:
*The physician's name, address, and telephone number;
*Information pertaining to any license to practice medicine held by the physician at any time;
*Any board certifications and specialties;
*Any affiliations with hospitals or health care facilities;
*Any health care-related business ownership interests or employment contracts if the aggregate value of the
contracts exceeds $5,000 annually;
*Any public disciplinary action taken by the state board or the regulatory body of another state or country;
*Any agreement or stipulation to temporarily cease or restrict practice or any board order restricting or
suspending the physician's license;
*Any final action resulting in an involuntary limitation or probationary status on, or reduction, nonrenewal,
denial, revocation, or suspension of the physician's medical staff membership or clinical privileges at a hospital
or health care facility on or after September 1, 1990;
*Any involuntary surrender of the physician's United States drug enforcement administration registration;
*Any final criminal conviction or plea arrangement relating to the commission or alleged commission of a
felony or crime of moral turpitude;
*Any final judgment, settlement, or arbitration award in a medical malpractice claim; and
*The refusal of an insurance carrier to issue a medical malpractice insurance policy to the physician due to past
claims experience.
The bill enacts the "Michael Skolnik Medical Transparency Act of 2010" to extend similar reporting
requirements, as applicable, to the following health care professionals who apply for a new license, certification,
or registration or to renew, reinstate, or reactivate a license, certification, or registration, on or after July 1, 2011:
*Audiologists and licensed hearing aid providers;
*Acupuncturists;
*Podiatrists;
*Chiropractors;
*Dentists and dental hygienists;
*Physician assistants;
*Direct-entry midwives;
*Practical nurses, professional nurses, and advanced practice nurses;
*Optometrists;
*Physical therapists; and
*Psychologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, addiction counselors,
and unlicensed psychotherapists.
The reporting requirements, as enacted in the original "Michael Skolnik Medical Transparency Act" of 2007, are
modified to require all impacted professionals, including physicians, to:
*Report the location of the applicant's practice if different than the applicant's address of record;
*Report information about the education and training the person received pertaining to his or her profession;
*Provide information about other licenses, certifications, or registrations to practice the applicant's profession
that were issued in the previous 10 years, rather than those issued at any time in the person's career; and
*Comply with their responsibility to report adverse actions to the appropriate regulatory body as otherwise
required by law.
The requirement to report the license number, type, original issue date, last renewal date, and expiration date of
any other license, certification, or registration issued to the person is eliminated. In addition to the information
required to be reported, an impacted professional is also permitted to submit information pertaining to relevant
awards and recognitions received by the person.
Status Senate Finance
Position Active Monitor
SB125 CBI SURCHARGE BACKGROUND CHECKS
Sen. Tapia
The bill authorizes the Colorado bureau of investigation to collect an additional surcharge on each fee that it
collects for the performance of a criminal history record check that it performs pursuant to statute.
Status Senate Finance
Position Passive Oppose
SB128 INVASION OF PRIVACY
Sen. Hudak & Rep. Rice
The bill moves from the crime of invasion of privacy for sexual gratification from the unlawful sexual contact
statute into its own statute. The bill increases the penalty for the crime of invasion of privacy for sexual
gratification to a class 6 felony when either:
* The defendant has been previously convicted of an unlawful sexual behavior offense; or
* The defendant observed a person under the age of 18 years during the commission of the crime.
The adds "live feed" as a means of capturing the image and includes observing a person's intimate parts as a
means of committing the offense. The bill reduced the penalty for ease dropping from a class 6 felony to a class
1 misdemeanor.
Status Senate Judiciary
Position Monitor
SB140 HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Sen. Mitchell
The bill repeals and relocates, with amendments, provisions relating to trafficking in adults, trafficking in
children, and coercion of involuntary servitude. The bill requires proof of the use of force, fraud, or coercion to
prove the crime of trafficking in adults or trafficking in children and proof of the use of force or fraud to prove
the crime of coercion of involuntary servitude. The bill adds trafficking in adults, trafficking in children, and
coercion of involuntary servitude to the list of offenses against the person that qualify as a racketeering activity
for the purposes of the "Colorado Organized Crime Control Act".
Status Senate Judiciary
Position Passive Support
SB152 INFORMATION TO MANDATORY REPORTER CHILD ABUSE
Sen. Newell & Rep. Gagliardi
The bill requires a county department of social services (county department) to provide information to a
mandatory reporter concerning the mandatory reporter's report to the county department of suspected child abuse
or neglect. Within 30 calendar days after receipt of a report, the bill requires the county department to provide
certain information to the mandatory reporter, including but not limited to the name of persons who may pose a
safety risk to the victim, whether the victim has been returned to his or her home, whether the case has been
closed, and contact information for the caseworker investigating the report. Within 90 calendar days after receipt
of the report by the county department, a mandatory reporter may seek certain additional information from the
county department. The bill authorizes a county department to provide this information only to certain
mandatory reporters, including but not limited to hospitals, physicians, nurses, school employees and officials,
and mental health professionals. Information disclosed to a mandatory reporter is confidential, and the
mandatory reporter shall not disclose the information to any other person.
Status House Health and Human Services
Position Active Support
SB153 BEHAVORIAL HEALTH SCREENING AND EFFICIENCY
Sen. Boyd
The bill sets forth a legislative declaration concerning the importance of creating a comprehensive approach to
behavioral health issues, including mental health and substance use disorders, and establishes the behavioral
health transformation council to develop strategies for implementing a systemic transformation of the behavioral
health care system. The governor is directed to appoint a behavioral health transformation council whose goal it
is to implement a systemic transformation of the behavioral health system. The bill further establishes the
behavioral health screening in the criminal justice system planning group (planning group) to determine a
standard set of data elements and outlines the membership and duties of the planning group.
Status Senate Appropriations
Position Active Monitor
SB154 HIGH-RISK STUDENT ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION CAMPUS
Sen. Sandoval
The bill expands the definition of "high-risk student" to include children with disabilities, migrant children,
homeless children, children with a documented history of serious psychiatric or behavioral disorders, and
children who are 2 or more years behind grade level as determined by statewide assessments or by other
assessments approved by the department of education for this purpose.
Status House Education
Position Active Monitor
SB171 CREATE CHILD PROTECTION OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM
Sen. Newell & Rep. Gagliardi
The bill establishes the child protection ombudsman program (program) as an independent program in thedepartment of human services (state department) that shall be operated by the executive director of the state department (executive director) either directly or by contract with a private nonprofit or public agency or organization. The child protection ombudsman (ombudsman) will direct the program. The powers and duties of the ombudsman shall include:
*Reviewing and seeking resolution of complaints concerning child protection services made by or on behalf of a child, including requesting and reviewing information relating to the case;
*Evaluating and making recommendations for a statewide grievance policy; and
*Filing an annual report concerning the duties of the program and recommendations for improvements to the child protection system.
The powers and duties of the ombudsman may include:
*Reviewing issues raised by members of the community relating to child protection services and making
recommendations for resolution of the issues;
*Helping to educate the public concerning the prevention of child maltreatment;
*Promoting best practices and effective programs relating to the child protection system; and
*Recommending statutory, regulatory, budgetary, and administrative changes to improve the child protection system.
The program will comply with all state and federal laws relating to the treatment of confidential information. The ombudsman will act independently of the state department and the county departments of social services (county departments). Positions taken by the ombudsman may not reflect those of the state department or the county departments.
The ombudsman and employees of the program will have qualified immunity from suit and liability except in cases of willful and wanton misconduct. Within 45 days after the effective date of the bill, the executive director shall appoint and convene an advisory work group to assist in developing a detailed plan for the design of the program (detailed plan), including the qualifications of the ombudsman. If the program is administered through a contract, the work group shall also advise the executive director concerning the criteria for the request for proposals issued for the contract. The work group may consist of members who represent county departments, mandatory reporters, families and children who have been involved with the child protection system, child protection advocates, members of the general assembly, and any other person with expertise in child protection. Members of the work group shall serve without compensation and at the pleasure of the executive director. If the executive director is operating the program through a contract, within 30 days after completing the detailed plan for the program, the executive director shall issue a request for proposals; except that the executive director shall not issue the request for proposals unless he or she determines that sufficient moneys are committed or available for awarding and implementing the contract for the program. The proposal submission period, the review of proposals, and the award of the contract shall be completed within 60 days after the issuance of the request for proposals.
The bill creates the child protection ombudsman program fund and authorizes the department to seek gifts, grants, and donations for the program. The ombudsman will prepare and submit an annual report concerning the program to the executive director for review and comment, and the executive director will forward the report to the governor and to each member of the health and human services committees of the house of representatives and the senate. At the beginning of the third year after implementation of the program, the state auditor's office will conduct a performance and fiscal audit of the program.
Status Senate Health & Human Services
Position Active Amend
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