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Committee narrows changes to foster care review boards, adds local-delegation consent for removals
Summary
The committee adopted amendments to S.B. 858 to restore local experience requirements for some state board members, give the Department of Children's Advocacy authority to create or dissolve local boards, and add language that the majority of a local legislative delegation must consent before removal of a member or dissolution of a board.
Lawmakers in the Family and Veteran Services Committee on Feb. 11 adopted a series of amendments to S.B. 858 aimed at improving the functioning and oversight of foster care review boards statewide, and then reported the bill favorably to the Senate floor.
Committee discussion focused on chronic vacancies and local boards that have been unable to reach quorum. The bill as described by committee staff would change standards for serving on local foster care review boards, authorize the Department of Children's Advocacy to set certain standards for local boards, and allow the department director to appoint or remove local board members and to provide assistance for meetings.
Committee counsel described three substantive changes in the amendment: restoring language requiring state board members to have past local board experience in some cases; requiring the director to notify the local legislative delegation in writing when a member is removed; and allowing the department to dissolve a local review board if it determines a local board is no longer necessary.
Miss Bodman, identified in the hearing as the state child advocate, said the department seeks uniform applications and clarified expectations so volunteers know attendance and conflict-of-interest rules in advance. "We would want the delegation to agree and to understand...why it is that we were asking this person to step down," she said, describing a process of investigation and communication to seek consensus before removals.
Several senators raised concerns that removals or dissolutions should require the majority consent of the local legislative delegation. The chair proposed adding explicit language stating "the consent of the majority of the local legislative delegation is needed to remove a member of a local board" and similar language for dissolution; that revised language was adopted as the committee amendment.
A motion to move S.B. 858 to the Senate floor as amended was made, seconded and approved by voice vote with no recorded opposition.
The committee transcript does not include roll-call vote totals. The bill will next be considered by the full Senate.
