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February, 2002 Public Policy Report
Submitted by Adoree Blair, CSFPA Public Policy Chair
In addition to the bills summarized in the January Public Policy Report, the following legislative bills affecting families and children are of note and interest to foster families:
HB 1185 by Rep. Romanoff and Sen. Anderson - Expands the Colorado Preschool program to eligible 3-year-old children.
HB 1196 by Rep. Boyd - Child Welfare Rates; this bill asks for annual state adjustments for child welfare providers, with rates for board and treatment being passed through to providers, asks that the state set uniform provider reporting, and that this methodology be reported back to the legislators. Asks for an appeals process for rates set.
HB 1201- by Rep. Borodkin and Sen. Matsunaka - Requires the state to apply for federal waivers to expand Medicaid (and Medicare) pharmacy prescriptions for those eligible under certain criteria.
HB 1206 - by Rep. Plant and Sen. Owen - Requires that a child who has moved out of state, enrolled in a Medicaid program or enrolled in a private health care program become ineligible for the the CHP+ medical program.
HB 1220 by Rep. Larson and Sen. Hanna - Requires that insurance companies provide hearing aids for children who need them, with new ones each 3 years.
HB 1223 by Rep Viega and Sen Anderson - Requires any person convicted for any sexual offense, or any other offense with underlying sexual offenses, to serve parole when they cannot be required to serve longer sentences.
HB 1246 by Rep King and Sen Windels - Creates a task force to study and define solutions for education for children placed in such alternate facilities as Day Treatment and RTC.
HB 1262 by Rep Mace - Depending on financial resources, authorizes the state to give a grant to any foster child who was dependent and neglected in 1965, so that such child can emancipate from his grandparent’s home with some financial help.
HB 1263 by Rep. Alexander — Directs health care insurers to provide coverage for substance abuse, whether that is caused by activity within the justice system or not; directs that Native Americans get treatment when there is federal assistance to 100% - basically, makes available substance abuse treatment for many more people.
HB 1264 — by Rep. Borodkin — Makes it a misdemeanor when firearms are not stored safely and juveniles come in contact with them, especially when they use them for illegal purposes. Sets exceptions.
HB 1275 by Rep. Cloer — Allows elected officials to have access to child abuse and neglect records; prohibits such officials from releasing confidential information; makes all deaths of children in foster or other state care public information, with records available to the parents of the child; states that a parent’s physical disability shall not be the basis of declaring a child dependent or neglected; makes sure that parents of foster children receive referral resources; authorizes jury trials at termination of parental rights hearings; requires all state or county workers in Human Services to have background checks for criminal records; prohibits respondents to ask for specific judges, but directs parents’ attorneys to spend three hours outside of the courtroom with the parents prior to a TPR hearing.
HB 1291 by Rep Clapp — Requires each school district to adopt a policy that prohibits school personnel from recommending students take psychotropic drugs. Makes sure which school personnel, as designated by a parent, can communicate about a school child to the people the parent designates.
HB 1293 By Rep Sanchez — Directs the state department to study why and how children are enrolled or dis-enrolled to or from Medicaid programs; directs the department to investigate why some children’s enrollments are not completed; directs when the results are due to the legislature.
HB 1297 by Rep. Hefley and Sen Linkhart — A School Readiness bill, it directs the state department to create child care facilities pilots in the areas where elementary school performance has been low.
HB 1303 by Rep Coleman, Sen Evans — Establishes a Family Literacy Program for families and adults.
HB 1306 — by Rep. Spence — implements a statewide science assessment of grades 6 and 10, if the federal funding for the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 can be obtained for this program.
HB 1308 by Rep Hefley and Sen Hernandez — Creates new funding, administration and oversight for the programs of the division of prevention and interventions services for children and youth.
HB 1311 — Keeps information filed by policemen, firemen and other officials when a baby is abandoned, as confidential information.
HB 1312— by Rep Paschall and Sen Linkhart — Gives docket priority to any hearing concerning a petition for adoption filed by the court.
HB 1317— by Rep Harvey and Sen Lamborn — Defines children born alive as human beings, defines which actions by such children will define them as human beings.
SB 114 by Sen Hanna and Rep. Crane — Sets up regulation standards for the ski area child care centers, with oversight by the state.
SB 129 by Senator Dyer — Authorizes terminating the parent-child relationship when the child is less than a year of age and the parents have abandoned him or her. (Speeds up termination for abandoned children, or those whose parents have not been in contact with the child for six months or more.)
SB 138 by Sen Hagedorn and Rep. Jahn — Takes away the resource requirement for eligibility for the Baby and Kid care Program.
SB 140 — by Sen Arnold and Rep Swenson — directs that 20% of all monies in inmates’ accounts be directed toward their restitution and child support payments.
SB 162 by Sen. Tate — enacts a prescription drug program for those whose prescriptions are paid for by the state, such as Medicaid. Those eligible will pay with a card. Makes a lot of rules and guidelines for the state when interacting with drug companies.
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