Subcommittee advances bill limiting DCS firearm-inventory questions for foster parents

The Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee on April 8 advanced House Bill 2206 as amended, voting to attach Amendment 14,477 and refer the measure to the Judiciary Committee.

Representative Cheryl, who explained the amendment, told members: "As amended, house bill 22 0 6 would prohibit DCS from requesting detailed information about the number of type of firearms or ammo that a foster parent or prospective foster parent owns or details access to, these firearms or ammo." She said the bill still allows DCS to ask whether firearms or ammunition are present in the home and whether they are safely secured.

Cheryl said the amendment responds to foster parents who reported receiving a new checklist that sought a complete inventory of firearms and allowed DCS workers to inspect for accuracy. "While I am fully committed to keeping children safe, always the top priority, these requests go far beyond what is reasonable," she said, adding that DCS was consulted on the language and deferred to the amendment.

The clerk recorded the committee vote as six yes, zero no, and one present not voting; Chair Littleton announced that House Bill 2206 as amended "moves out to judiciary full." The committee recorded no fiscal note on the amendment during the explanation.

The bill as amended narrows the scope of information DCS may seek from foster households to presence and secure-storage questions and prevents detailed inventories and access descriptions, according to Representative Cheryl. The subcommittee took no additional action at the meeting; the bill will next be considered by the Judiciary Committee.