1997-01-31                     House Journal                      Page 0199
HB 100                                                                       
HOUSE BILL NO. 100 by the House Rules Committee by request of                  
the Governor, entitled:                                                        
                                                                               
An Act relating to the citizen review board and panels for                    
permanency planning for children in state foster care; extending               
the termination date of the Citizens' Foster Care Review Board;                
and providing for an effective date.                                           
                                                                               
was read the first time and referred to the State Affairs, Health,             
Education & Social Services and Finance Committees.                            
                                                                               
                                                                               
The following fiscal notes apply:                                              
                                                                               
Fiscal note, Dept. of Administration, 1/31/97                                  
Zero fiscal note, Dept. of Health & Social Services, 1/31/97                   
                                                                               
The Governor's transmittal letter, dated January 30, 1997, appears             
below:                                                                         
                                                                               
Dear Speaker Phillips:                                                         
                                                                               
One of the services provided for abused, neglected or delinquent               
youths in the states custody is placement in foster care.  It is essential     
these placements receive periodic review to ensure the childrens needs         

1997-01-31                     House Journal                      Page 0200
HB 100                                                                       
are being met.  However, the statutory mandate to conduct regular              
citizen reviews statewide is not currently carried out, primarily because      
of lack of funding and a burdensome and duplicative review structure.          
This bill, as part of my package of bills introduced today based on the        
recommendations of the Governors Conference on Youth and Justice,              
restructures the foster care review system to improve the foster care          
program for our children.                                                      
                                                                               
                                                                               
Existing law specifies that local foster care review panels be                 
established statewide, each composed of five volunteer citizen                 
members.  The costs of recruiting and training the volunteers and then         
conducting the reviews far exceed the level of funding appropriated to         
date.  The result is that review panels have only existed in the               
Anchorage area and, even then, cover only a fraction of the total              
number of children in foster care.                                             
                                                                               
                                                                               
At the same time, to comply with federal law, the Department of                
Health and Social Services (DHSS) reviews foster care cases using              
panels consisting of at least two department members and one citizen           
volunteer member.                                                              
                                                                               
                                                                               
Under this bill, the newly named Citizens Foster Care Review Board             
housed within the Department of Administration is reduced from ten             
members to nine, with five being public members.  The statewide                
board will appoint and train citizens for the local review panels, each        
consisting of three public members and two members from the DHSS.              
The panel will be chaired by one of the public members, but the                
department will schedule the reviews, provide notification to necessary        
participants, and draft the panel reports.                                     
                                                                               
                                                                               
This new structure will meet both the federal and state requirements           
within one foster care review system, thereby avoiding the current             
wasteful duplication of services.  The cost of operating the review            
panels will also be greatly reduced by relying on the staff support from       
the DHSS.                                                                      

1997-01-31                     House Journal                      Page 0201
HB 100                                                                       
Most importantly, this new system will enable the establishment of             
citizen review panels statewide.  This means the state can follow              
through on its responsibility to oversee the foster care program and           
provide the quality of services our children in need deserve.                  
                                                                               
							Sincerely,                                                              
							/s/                                                                     
							Tony Knowles                                                            
							Governor