Arapahoe County seeks amendments to foster-youth benefits bill and signals opposition to expansion of civil-liability claims

Arapahoe County commissioners on Monday directed staff to pursue amendments to HB 26-1347, a state bill that would change how counties manage federal disability and survivor benefits for foster youth, and endorsed a conceptual opposition to a separate draft that would expand state-level civil liability for alleged constitutional violations.

Nico Johnson of the commissioners’ office briefed the board that HB 26-1347 would require counties to screen foster youth for Social Security eligibility, file and track applications, maintain documentation in state systems, and establish savings-account requirements for youth transitioning out of care. "As written, the bill would expand workloads, increase administrative costs, and reduce funding for county child welfare services," Johnson said, and the legislative team recommended the county take an amend…