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House approves oversight reforms for children’s residential treatment facilities
Summary
House Bill 7-23, prompted by a committee review, passed the House to require individualized service plans, a bill of rights, and critical-incident reporting in children’s residential treatment programs, sponsors said the reforms address past abuse and notification gaps.
The House approved HB 7-23 on March 3 after sponsors described the bill as a response to a state review of children's residential treatment facilities that found gaps in oversight and incidents not promptly disclosed to families.
Sponsor explained the bill would require individualized service planning and documentation, establish a children’s bill of rights for facilities, and mandate reporting of critical incidents — including suicide attempts, restraints, runaways and arrests — with explicit parental-notification rules. She said the package was intended to give parents better information and legal protections when they place a child in a residential setting.
Questions from the floor focused on parental rights, the relationship between the proposed bill of rights and parental authority, and operational details of critical-incident reporting. The sponsor said parental rights remain primary and the bill-of-rights material is meant as a companion to give clearer expectations to families.
After debate closed the House voted in favor and the bill will be transmitted to the Senate.
