Committee recommits House Bill 1098 to Appropriations after unanimous vote to fund youth, family engagement and juvenile-justice oversight staffing

The Family and Children Services Committee voted 7-0 to recommit House Bill 1098 to the Appropriations Committee after members heard testimony that the bill would create staff capacity for a statewide youth, family and caregiver engagement initiative and add staffing support to the statewide juvenile justice oversight body.

Senator Jackson, who presented the bill to the committee, said, "House Bill 1098 would require the commission on improving the status of children in Indiana to create the staff a state a statewide youth, family, and caregiver engagement initiative aimed at increasing their effectiveness participating in the process of policy with impact to children and youth." She told the committee the bill had passed the Indiana House unanimously.

Mark Fairchild, executive director of the Commission on Improving the…