Child welfare bills amended, advanced

Lawmakers amended and advanced three bills from select file March 7 that are part of a package of measures intended to provide legislative oversight to the state’s child welfare reform initiative.

Under LB820, introduced by the Health and Human Services Committee, the state Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) would be required to apply for a federal waiver for a foster care demonstration project by Sept. 30, 2013.

The bill also would require DHHS to create a Foster Care Reimbursement Committee that would develop a statewide standard rate structure for children in foster care and require licensure of all foster parents not related to a child by blood, marriage or adoption.

The bill was amended on general file to provide a $3.10 rate increase for foster parents starting July 1, 2013.

A select file amendment offered by Lincoln Sen. Kathy Campbell and adopted 33-0 clarified that a 25 cent administrative fee authorized in the bill for foster care agencies would be in addition to the foster parent payment increase, rather than deducted from it.

LB949, introduced by the Legislative Performance Audit Committee, would tighten budgeting standards for the state’s child welfare system.

Among other provisions, LB949 would require DHHS’s division of children and family services to include a strategic plan in its budget request to the Legislature for the next two budget cycles. The plan must identify the main purpose of each program in the division, goals for measuring progress and benchmarks and time frames for meeting those goals.

The division also would be required to provide quarterly updates to the Legislature’s Health and Human Services and Appropriations committees, beginning in October 2012, on any transfer of funds greater than $250,000 into the child welfare subprogram from other budget programs.

Appropriation of funds for child welfare would be designated as a separate budget program beginning with the biennium budget ending June 30, 2015.

Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha offered an amendment on select file, adopted 29-0, which changed the deadline for designating a separate child welfare budget to July 1, 2012.

A second amendment, offered by Omaha Sen. Heath Mello and adopted 27-0, added a provision requiring DHHS to provide the Appropriations Committee with information regarding outcomes related to funds appropriated to the children and family services division.

Mello said the department should be accountable for outcomes as well as expenditures.

Finally, LB1160, introduced by the Health and Human Services Committee, would require DHHS to develop and implement a web-based, statewide automated information system to integrate child welfare data.

The bill also would require the department to obtain an evaluation of the state’s child welfare system by a nationally recognized entity. The department would be required to report to the Legislature regarding the completed evaluation and plans for the new data system by Dec. 1, 2012.

A Campbell amendment, offered on select file and adopted 34-0, added several reporting requirements to the bill, including information on a new lead agency pilot project, non-court involved child welfare cases and cases involving children with co-occurring conditions.

The three bills were advanced to final reading by voice vote.