House committee hears overview of Senate Bill 1113 on out‑of‑state placements, restraints and oversight of youth care

The House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services held an informational hearing March 13 on Senate Bill 1113, which sponsors and advocates said would tighten oversight of out‑of‑state placements for youth in state care, clarify when use of force and restraint are abuse, and preserve long‑standing rules preventing private‑equity ownership of child‑caring agencies.

Senator Sarah Gelser Blumen, a state senator from Senate District 8 and chair of the Senate Human Services Committee, told the committee that SB 1113 is intended to protect children and to “build a system that recognizes . . . their vulnerability, their humanity, and their identity.” She said the bill seeks clarification on abuse definitions for older youth in care, strengthens prohibitions on certain restraints and seclusion, and adds legislative oversight and civil penalties for regulatory noncompliance.

The bill would explicitly extend child‑abuse protections to older youth who remain in state care, Senator Gelser Blumen said, because existing abuse definitions in the statute did not always apply to 18‑ to 21‑year‑olds who were still receiving services. She described provisions that would bar sexual contact between staff and clients regardless of a foster youth’s legal age, broaden the set of people who can be investigated for abuse (including non‑staff residents and frequent visitors), and add definitions for financial exploitation and verbal abuse.

The committee also heard testimony about the history and harms of out‑of‑state placements.…