Changes to child welfare budget process approved

Lawmakers gave final approval April 3 to a bill that seeks to tighten budgeting standards for the state’s child welfare system.

Scottsbluff Sen. John Harms, chairperson of the Legislative Performance Audit Committee, introduced LB949 on behalf of the committee. He said the bill contains recommendations stemming from a performance audit of child welfare privatization efforts recently undertaken by the state Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

Among other provisions, LB949 requires 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.

Under the bill, the division is required to provide quarterly updates to the Legislature’s HHS and Appropriations committees beginning in October 2012 on any movement of funds greater than $250,000 into the child welfare subprogram from other budget programs.

LB949 passed on a 48-0 vote.