House committee narrows bill to stop use of survivor Social Security benefits to pay foster-care costs and advances it to appropriations

The House Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday adopted a strike‑below amendment to House Bill 25-1271 and voted 10–3 to send the narrower bill to the Appropriations Committee with a favorable recommendation.

The amended measure prohibits county departments from using Title II survivor benefits (Social Security survivor payments) that are payable to a child in foster care to offset the county’s cost of care; instead, counties must preserve such funds in an identified account and make them available to the child when the child exits care or as otherwise required. Sponsors emphasized the bill targets survivor benefits in this session to allow additional time to resolve implementation questions related to more-complex disability benefits (Title XVI). Rep. Gilchrist, the prime sponsor, said the strike‑below was a negotiated compromise reached with counties and other…