January 19-23
The second week of legislative session began with the Martin Luther King Jr Day holiday. The legislature does not take breaks for state or federal holidays, which makes for a great opportunity for the public to engage in the process. The Statewide Poverty Action Network held its lobby day on the MLK Day holiday, which brought many individuals from across the state to speak with their legislators about solutions to address poverty. These include passing progressive revenue to preserve crucial programs, particularly those with fewer federal dollars like SNAP and Medicaid.
Two bills that support youth in Extended Foster Care were passed out of the Senate Human Services committee this week:
- SB 5911 to end the practice of withholding federal SSI benefits from youth in foster care received a unanimous vote on January 20.
- SB 5940 to provide housing vouchers for youth in Extended Foster Care was voted out on January 21.
Other bills moving this week
Additional bills we support are scheduled for committee votes on Friday, January 23, including HB 1544, which addresses child welfare risk assessments, and HB 2253, which would improve licensing processes within the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF).
Bills to address critical incidents in child welfare
Next week, both House and Senate policy committees will hear legislation responding to the recent rise in critical incidents—defined as maltreatment-related child fatalities or near-fatalities involving children who have been in the child welfare system within the past 12 months.
HB 2497/ SB 6185 take a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach to strengthening family stability and child safety. These bills would:
- Strengthen the role of community-based organizations to serve families involved in child welfare.
- Improve connections to families to available substance use treatment.
- Expand pre-filing representation models that provide early intervention for pregnant and parenting families, helping them remain safely together and avoid child welfare involvement.
- Expand the Parent Child Assistance Program (PCAP) to deliver intensive case management and recovery support for pregnant and parenting individuals involved in child welfare due to substance use.
- Include public health nurses in safety planning for families with children under age four impacted by substance use.
- Review court-involved pathways for child welfare cases that do not seek removal of a child.
- Authorize courts to order specific safety conditions when a child remains in the home following a shelter care hearing.
HB 2497 will be heard on Tuesday January 27th at 1:30pm in the House Early Learning and Human Services Committee.
SB 6185 will be heard on Wednesday January 28th at 8:00am in the Senate Human Services Committee.
Note: It is our understanding that significant changes are in the works related to various critical incident bills. Please watch for updates.
Narrower proposals
There are other proposals to address the rise in critical incidents, but most are narrow in scope. HB 2511 focuses on defining “imminent physical harm” when courts determine whether to remove a child from the home. This limited focus is unlikely to significantly reduce critical incidents, as most incidents do not come before the court and could instead be prevented through timely interventions and services for families—such as those proposed in HB 2497 / SB 6185.
HB 2511 will be heard on Tuesday January 27th at 1:30pm in the House Early Learning and Human Services Committee.
Additional bills
Other bills up for a hearing by the House Early Learning and Human Services Committee on January 28th at 1:30 pm include:
- HB 2455, the House companion bill to SB 5940 to provide housing vouchers to youth in Extended Foster Care.
- HB 2529, the House companion bill to SB 5942 to clarify the responsibilities of the DCYF Oversight Board.
Weekly bill tracker
The weekly P4C bill tracker highlights bills related to our priorities, particularly in child welfare. Please note that the inclusion of bills in the tracker does not reflect P4C’s position for or against the bill.
Other ways to stay informed
- TVW offers live and archived coverage of legislative committees and other events.
- The legislative website provides comprehensive information on bills, committee schedules, and contact information for legislators.