Committee advances adult protective services cleanup bill after discussion on service gaps

Senate Bill 182, designed to update definitions and streamline information-sharing for adult protective services (APS), was advanced by the committee and will be sent to the next committee for consideration after a 9-0 vote.

Sponsor Sen. Kreider said SB 182 grew from earlier work (Senate Bill 109) and reports that prosecutors in some areas were unwilling to renew contracts to provide APS, prompting statutory cleanup to allow contracting with outside entities when prosecutors do not fulfill APS duties. Kreider described the bill as ‘‘clean up in nature’’ aimed at improving service delivery to endangered adults who often have multiple government contacts.

Courtney Hott, legislative director for the Family Social Services Agency (FSSA), testified that FSSA supports the bill and worked with the sponsor. Committee members asked about a provision in the bill that would require retaining certain reports for five years; Hott indicated she believed the five-year retention was tied to federal regulation and offered to confirm the citation.

Committee members raised service-delivery questions in testimony and during discussion. Sen. Ford described an APS ride-along and noted that hospitals sometimes hold adults for only a few hours before they return to an unsafe situation; he said he is meeting with FSSA to explore short-term placement options. Other members referenced the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model as a potential regional stabilization option for people experiencing crises.

After discussion, the committee moved the bill, called the roll and approved SB 182 by voice/roll call 9-0.