04/15/1999 03:08 PM House HES

HB 177 - FOSTER CARE & DELINQUENT MINORS                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Number 0094                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIRMAN COGHILL announced the first order of business as House                                                              
Bill No. 177, "An Act relating to foster parents; relating to the                                                               
right of foster parents to have notice of, and testify at,                                                                      
delinquency hearings and to the disclosure of minors' records to                                                                
foster parents; and amending Rules 3, 7, 10, 12, 21, 23, and 25,                                                                
Alaska Delinquency Rules."                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Number 0128                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
LISA TORKELSON, Legislative Assistant to Representative Fred Dyson,                                                             
presented the sponsor statement for HB 177.  Last year they                                                                     
introduced HB 456 which gave foster parents the right to have                                                                   
notice of and testify at child-in-need-of-aid (CINA) and                                                                        
delinquency hearings and to have information disclosed to them                                                                  
about their particular foster child.  They were able to put the                                                                 
half that dealt with CINA cases into the governor's child                                                                       
protection bill last year and it passed.  Because it was a 64-page                                                              
bill it was limited to CINA, and the delinquency half didn't get                                                                
put in. This bill brings it up to speed with the CINA half.  She                                                                
offered a committee substitute which clarifies that the department,                                                             
rather than the court, would give notice of the hearing, and a                                                                  
foster parent would have information relevant to the foster child;                                                              
not necessarily all information.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Number 0284                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIRMAN DYSON made a motion to adopt the proposed committee                                                                 
substitute (CS) for HB 177, version 1-LSO760\D, Luckhaupt, 4/13/99,                                                             
as a work draft.  There being no objection, Version D was before                                                                
the committee.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Number 0368                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
ROBERT BUTTCANE, Juvenile Probation Officer, Youth Corrections,                                                                 
Division of Family and Youth Services (DFYS), Department of Health                                                              
and Social Services (DHSS), came forward to testify in support of                                                               
HB 177.  The provisions contained in the proposed committee                                                                     
substitute are appropriate in that they are now in effect in the                                                                
child-in-need-of-aid proceedings.  It is proper public policy that                                                              
they bring parity to the foster parent privileges and rights in the                                                             
delinquency statute.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BRICE made a motion to move CSHB 177, version                                                                    
1-LSO760\D, Luckhaupt, 4/13/99, from committee with individual                                                                  
recommendations and the attached zero fiscal note.  There being no                                                              
objection, CSHB 177(HES) moved from the House Health, Education and                                                             
Social Services Standing Committee.