Senate committee moves foster‑home rules into statute, removes two‑location firearm storage requirement

Senator Shippey, the floor sponsor in committee, led adoption of amendments to Senate Bill 10 34 that move existing foster‑care licensing requirements from department rule into statute and remove a rule section requiring guns and ammunition to be locked up in two separate locations.

Shippey said the change was intended to reduce a barrier to recruiting foster parents and to give the department explicit statutory authority to require training. "As a licensed foster care provider myself, I find that to be a pretty heavy burden," Shippey said, describing the previous dual‑location storage rule as discouraging potential foster families. The amendment replaces the dual‑location requirement with a directive that the department require a gun‑safety training video for foster homes.

Senator Melissa Wintrow expressed opposition on the floor of the committee, saying a video is insufficient and that safe storage requirements are reasonable to expect of foster parents. "I don't think a video on gun safety is enough," Wintrow said. "Firearm death is one of the leading causes, if not the leading cause of accidental injury and death to kids today."

Committee members adopted amendments to both section 1 and section 2 by voice vote; the committee approved a title correction and returned Senate Bill 10 34 to the Senate calendar as amended and without recommendation. The transcript shows voice adoption and no roll‑call tallies.

Sponsor comments emphasized recruitment of foster parents and balancing safety requirements with the department’s ability to secure providers in a system that needs placements. The amended bill directs the department to require gun‑safety training (a video) and moves other licensing conditions from rule into statute.

Next steps: Senate Bill 10 34, as amended, was placed on the second reading calendar for the Senate.