04/25/1994 09:10 AM Senate FIN

  CSSB 268(JUD): An Act relating to facilities for the care of                 
                 children;  to  child  placement agencies;  to                 
                 maternity  homes;   to  certain   residential                 
                 facilities for  adults; and  to foster  homes                 
                 for adults;  and providing  for an  effective                 
                 date.                                                         
                                                                               
                 Pat O'Brien, Social Services Program Officer,                 
                 Division   of   Family   &  Youth   Services,                 
                 Department of Health & Social Services, spoke                 
                 to SB 268.  CSSB 268(JUD) was REPORTED out of                 
                 committee with individual recommendations and                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
                 a fiscal note for the  Department of Health &                 
                 Social Services for $65.0.                                    
                                                                               
  CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 268(JUD):                                             
                                                                               
       An Act relating to facilities for the care of children;                 
       to  child placement  agencies;  to maternity  homes; to                 
       certain  residential  facilities  for  adults;  and  to                 
       foster homes for adults; and providing for an effective                 
       date.                                                                   
                                                                               
  Co-chair  Pearce  announced  that  SB  268  was  before  the                 
  committee  and  outlined  new   language  by  the  Judiciary                 
  Committee.  She invited Pat O'Brien to testify to the bill.                  
                                                                               
  PAT  O'BRIEN, Social  Services Program Officer,  Division of                 
  Family  &  Youth  Services, Department  of  Health  & Social                 
  Services,  said the  department had  supplied  the committee                 
  with a new sectional analysis.  The changes in the Judiciary                 
  Committee did change  the foster  care definition and  moved                 
  the exemption that had been placed in Senate HESS.  She also                 
  turned attention to the two page explanation for  the fiscal                 
  note for the department.                                                     
                                                                               
  Ms. O'Brien said,  in referring to  a pie chart supplied  to                 
  the committee (copy on file, Attachment A),  that over 2,000                 
  facilities  were  licensed,  including  child foster  homes,                 
  family child care homes, residential child care  facilities,                 
  and child care  centers.   She said if  the assisted  living                 
  bill  passed,  it  would  remove  adult licensing  from  the                 
  licensing  statute.    She noted  the  capacity  of licensed                 
  facilities  was  13,600,  a   large  number  of   vulnerable                 
  individuals who received care in these facilities.                           
                                                                               
  What the bill was  trying to accomplish was efficiency.   In                 
  some locations in the  state, there was only half  the staff                 
  needed   to  meet  national  standards  for  performing  the                 
  licensing function.   There were  30 field offices  and nine                 
  types of  facilities.   Regulations were  developed under  a                 
  different administration  and procedures were  different for                 
  every type of  facility which made it  a very tough job  for                 
  the  licensor.    This  bill  would condense  the  licensing                 
  procedures  since   the  addition  of  any   workers  seemed                 
  unlikely.   She  said that  for  the most  part,  procedures                 
  reflected existing procedures.                                               
                                                                               
  Other objectives were  to promote a share  role with parents                 
  in  the   day  care   and  other   facilities,  and   extend                 
  partnerships to individuals in small communities to help the                 
  department  perform license  evaluation.    This would  also                 
                                                                               
                                                                               
  target native  organizations eligible for federal grants and                 
  other individuals in small communities.                                      
                                                                               
  Senator Kerttula  MOVED for  passage of  CSSB 268(JUD)  from                 
  committee  with individual  recommendations.   No  objection                 
  being  heard,  it   was  REPORTED  OUT  of   committee  with                 
  individual  recommendations,  and  a  fiscal  note  for  the                 
  Department of Health & Social Services for $65.0.   Co-chair                 
  Pearce  signed  "do pass."    Senators Rieger,  Kerttula and                 
  Sharp signed "no recommendation."