|
Colorado State Foster Parent Association
Public Policy Report
January 24, 2004
Submitted by Adoree Blair, Public Policy Chair
As of this date, the following bills have been introduced that affect foster children and foster and adoptive families: (Please watch this site for updates about every two weeks through February, and periodically thereafter through the first part of May.)
HB 1016 by Rep. Johnson and Sen. S Johnson – This bill adds promotion of obscenity to minors to the charges that require sex offender registration.
HB 1036 by Rep. S Williams and Sen. Arnold – Requires youth drivers to drive without minor passengers until they have had a license for 6 months, unless one of the passengers is 21, the youth passengers are members of the immediate family, or there is an emergency.
HB 1060 by Rep. Lundberg – This brings in federal guidelines so that a child’s legal caregiver is informed of all the constitutional rights he or she has, and what rights the child has, when a child is taken from that home. I am trying to determine if this includes foster parents.
HB 1061 by Rep. Berry – This allows Child Advocacy Centers to videotape interviews with children who have been abused and/or neglected, and sets the guidelines for the consistency of the interviews. Hopefully, this method will cut down on the amount of interviews a child is required to go through.
HB 1064 by Rep. Tochtrop – This repeals the requirements that a D&N should be filed when a child is a runaway or beyond control of the parents.
HB 1078 by Rep. Harvey – This bill limits the ability of entities to display sexually explicit materials where a child might view them, and puts penalties in place for such display.
HB 1083 by Rep. Sinclair – If a father tests DNA-negatively as the father of a child for whom he has been paying child support, the court must stop mandating the payments at the tested father’s request.
HB 1105 – By Rep. Madden – This bill moves same-sex partner parent adoptions to the same requirements that are now needing to be met for stepparent adoptions.
HB 1108 by Rep. McFayden – This bill requires court-ordered treatment providers providing services to D&N youth to keep all statements made by the youth confidential unless such statements provide information about future misconduct.
HB 1137 by Rep. Frangas – Makes it illegal for schools to use a signed confession by a student that could result in the student’s expulsion unless there is a parent present, or – the parent and child have signed a waiver for this requirement, or – a responsible adult acting as a parent is accompanying the child, or – the child misrepresents what is going on and the school acts in good faith despite the child’s untruthfulness.
HB 1149 by Rep. Cheri Jahn – This bill requires that adoption petitions be denied to potential adoptive parents who have committed a felony (convicted of) concerning drug use, domestic violence or violation of a protection order, within the past five years at a minimum.
HB 1158 by Rep. Madden – This bill limits the availability of “junk foods” in children’s schools in the state by limiting the time they can be purchased or consumed to after the lunch hours.
HB 11790 by Rep. Decker – Requires persons purchasing drugs that are methamphetamine precursor drugs to have their identification checked by the clerk at the store where the precursors are purchased. In addition, requires that the store keep a record of who purchased them and have that available to law enforcement.
HB 1180 by S Williams and Sandoval – Requires every school district to have a kindergarten program available.
HB 1182 by Rep Cloer, Sen Hillman – Requires property owners whose property has been used for a methamphetamine lab to clean up the property to certain standards. Limits liability to these property owners of the standards for cleanup have been met.
HB 1186 by Rep. Stafford, Sen. Johnson – Limits lawsuit damages against a CPA or Residential Treatment Center to $150,000.00 unless there was willful, wanton, reckless or outrageous conduct by an employee that brought about the lawsuit.
HB 1196 by S Williams and Arnold – This bill takes away the “need to know” requirements that prohibit law enforcement from releasing sex offender information to an inquiring party.
HB 1200 by Rep. Clapp, Sen Anderson – This bill requires all agencies serving families and children with child welfare services to collaborate and share services so that we see less duplication of services, but more services available to more families. Creates an oversight board that reviews reports about how this collaborative effort is going.
HB 1217 by Rep. Lee and Senator Arnold – This bill requires schools to give the parents of children attending the school a sample list of 4 to 6 questions the parents could ask regarding the performance of the schools, based on CSAP scoring. It requires the schools to notify the parents of other services available to their child, depending on the academic performance of the student. Schools report back to the governor about how this program is working.
SB 28 by Hagedorn and Larsen – This bill mandates that the Dept of Health Care Policy and Financing shall seek federal approval to treat Native Americans for substance abuse.
SB 29 by Sen. Windels and Rep Jahn – This bill amends the definition of medically fragile foster children to include those on tracheotomy tubes. It also requires any planning entity working with medical homes for individuals to plan for respite care for those medically fragile individuals, and notify the caregivers of such respite plans, so they can be used in an emergency.
SB 34 by Sen. Evans – This bill allows counties to designate certain streets in their areas as “play streets” and provides law enforcement authority to ticket parents who do not supervise their children when the children are utilizing those play streets.
SB 37 by Sens Anderson and Windels and Rep Stafford – This bill creates a legislative oversight committee that establishes a process to examine the treatment of individuals who have mental illness and are also involved in the criminal or juvenile justice system. Also creates a task force to begin examining the issues. This bill also creates a report system back to the legislature with recommended legislative changes.
SB 55 by Hagedorn and Carroll – This bill requires each police department to train its officers in Hate Crime and its control, and to submit an annual report to CBS’s crime labs.
SB 58 by Sandoval and Briggs – Creates a “Kids First” license plate for purchase in the state. Funds from this program will go to a children’s injury prevention program.
SB 65 by Keller and Coleman – This bill extends the mental health treatment of children without filing a D&N on the parents – it extends the program begun by Sen. Keller years ago, until 2009.
SB 83 by Sandoval – Requires that schools with an 85% or more population of at-risk students (defined as various social and academic risk factors) be designated an alternate school if so requested. Provides accountability reporting procedures.
SB 95 by Veiga and Mitchell – Requires the state to issue and file a certificate of stillbirth for parents of stillborn babies. Extends time for filing such certificates.
SB 117 by Sandoval – This bill was created for the case of the Native American infant who was taken at birth, and, if passed, will be called “The Sunshine Gates Act.” It requires that newborns not be taken from their parents without a court order by police, unless the police have a court order or unless the child tests positive for drugs or displays drug withdrawal symptoms, or the child’s parents or parent are unavailable or so mentally ill they cannot care for the child. Requires that the parents be given notice about their rights and what is going on, and that this be given in a language they can understand, even if an interpreter needs to be called in. This bill came up very, very quickly and passed through the Senate HEWI committee without much notice at all. I imagine it will get more attention as it heads to the House.
SB 120 by Stafford and Hillman – Designates churches as being able to provide public service jobs, and designates the property used in providing these jobs continue to receive a religious tax exemption.
SB 122 by Sen. Reeves and Rep Hefley – This bill repeals the duties and roles of Magistrates in family law.
SB 136 by Arnold and King – This bill requires schools to offer remedial help to students who are failing, and to provide that help until they perform satisfactorily.
SB 137 by Johnson and Rhodes – This bill requires that foster parents receive notice about upcoming hearings concerning their foster child, and that they be able to be heard at such hearings. In addition, this bill asks that all foster parent identifying information remain confidential from adult biological relatives of foster children unless the foster parent gives consent for such information to be shared. This bill is an effort of CSFPA.
SB 139 – by Windels and Andrews – This bill requires health care providers to remind parents when their children are overdue for immunizations, unless there is a shortage of immunizations.
To find out more about these bills, or to read them, or follow their progress, go to
http://www.leg.state.co.us/ HB is a House Bill, and SB is a Senate bill. If you have questions or concerns you can contact me at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
You may also leave questions at 303 798 3881, although please be patient, as I have a very busy phone.
|
