Senate committee advances bills on child services funding, benefits notice and nutrition outreach

A Virginia Senate committee on Wednesday advanced four bills affecting child welfare, benefit notices and nutrition programs and set one bill aside for the day.

The most substantial items included Senate Bill 801, which clarifies that children identified by the juvenile and domestic relations (JDR) system are eligible for funding under the Children's Services Act; Senate Bill 818, which requires local social services departments to notify certain parties when a child in foster care becomes eligible for Social Security or Department of Veterans Affairs benefits; and two bills directing state outreach and reporting on food-assistance programs (SB 1019 on WIC outreach to food banks, and SB 1020 on a report about restaurants participating in the SNAP restaurant-meals option). Each measure was forwarded by the committee, with amendment as noted.

Senate Bill 801: Children's Services Act eligibility

Senator Favola, sponsor, told the committee that SB 801 "clarifies our current law and our current practice by stating that children who are in need of services, as recognized by frequently the JDR system, are eligible for funding under the Children's Services Act." The committee recorded no fiscal impact and advanced the bill by voice and roll call; the clerk announced the measure "moves on by a vote of 7 to 0." Scott Reiner, who runs the…