Foster-care safety bill advances after emotional testimony from foster parents and experts

Representative Josh Wheeler, sponsor of House Bill 724, told the Senate Health and Welfare Committee the measure would "affirm that children in foster care have rights to a safe and healthy placement environment, protection from abuse, timely medical assessments following abuse disclosures, and access to basic necessities." He said the bill directs courts and the Department of Health and Welfare to consider safety when setting visitations and during placement transitions and requires a written notice of those rights be provided to and posted in foster homes.

Multiple witnesses urged the committee to support the measure, describing repeated failures in the system. "Children in The United States possess a fundamental right to safety and freedom from abuse," said Dr. Kylie Billingsley, a child psychologist and foster parent, and she told the committee she included about 14–15 recent case summaries in her packet. Monique Perry said her adopted infant suffered repeated respiratory collapses after court-ordered visits, and that it took more than a year of documentation and 17 hospitalizations before the visits were paused: "This baby has a right to breathe." Foster parents and a former foster youth described patterns of serious abuse, missed medical follow-up and reunifications that, they said, occurred without full historical information presented to judges.

Supporters framed the bill as a statutory recognition of practices the Department of Health and Welfare already uses in some cases; Kevin Watson, a current foster parent and former foster youth, highlighted a provision requiring foster homes to post written notice of rights and called the measure an easily implemented transparency safeguard. Jeremy Rudolph, a licensed foster parent, asked the committee to consider whether children already in state custody should have a clear right to safe placements and timely evaluations after abuse disclosures. Representative Wheeler asked the committee to send the bill to the floor with a do-pass recommendation; the committee approved the motion.

The bill now moves to the full Senate for further consideration. The committee recorded the vote to advance HB 724 by voice roll call during the meeting; additional legislative steps and any amendments will be set by the Senate leadership.