Panel backs expanded oversight, ombudsman and board for youth congregate-care programs

The House Health and Human Services Committee on Tuesday adopted the fifth substitute for SB 297 and voted to favorably recommend the measure to the full House, a set of changes sponsor Senator McCall said will tighten oversight of youth congregate‑care programs.

The bill, as described by Senator McCall, creates an advisory board to help licensing set admission, treatment and suicide‑prevention standards, establishes an ombudsman for families and guardians to report concerns, and adds provisions to clarify when a program must treat an event as a “critical incident.” The fifth substitute also adds language about supervision of staff under investigation and billing and privacy rules tied to covered services.

The changes respond to concerns from hospitals, providers and advocates that Utah’s hospitals are sometimes left caring for behaviorally complex out‑of‑state patients for extended periods. Amanda Chaudhary, hospital president of Primary Children’s Taylorsville,…