Senate committee hears federal, state overview of interstate child-placement compact and Georgia timelines

Senate Chairwoman Kay Kirkpatrick convened a special meeting of the Senate Special Committee on Children and Families to examine the interstate compact for placement of children (ICPC), saying the hearing was called to "understand the process and to give all parties a chance to be heard." The committee said it would not take votes at the session.

The session opened with a remote briefing from Rick Masters, general counsel to the Interstate Commission for Juveniles, who summarized the compact’s purpose and recent updates. Masters said ICPC “is one of those compacts, which was enacted back in the 1950s,” and described the compact as a contract between member states that sets enforceable procedures for placing children across state lines.

Why it matters: Committee members and DHS officials said the recently revised ICPC and its implementing rules aim to reduce inconsistent enforcement and court challenges that have complicated interstate placements, and to provide clearer rulemaking for member states. Senators asked whether neighboring states had enacted the revised compact and how Georgia’s implementation would affect cross-border placements.

State officials described how ICPC cases move through Georgia’s system. Bridal Pedersen, deputy commissioner for health law and policy at the Georgia Department of Human…