HB 1573 (2024)
Certify out-of-state residential programs for children
Revises criteria for the out-of-home placement of children and increases oversight and certification criteria for out-of-state residential treatment programs.
The Senate rewrote the bill. Their version of the bill revises the criteria for out-of-home placement for children under the Child Protection Act and other juvenile laws. This bill establishes an order of preference based on placement with relatives, with the child's siblings, and proximity to the child's home community. This bill also adds additional requirements for out-of-state placements. This is similar to another bill, SB 417.
A conference committee of representatives and senators agreed on a final version of the bill that is more similar to the House version. This final bill requires court-ordered residential treatment programs for children to be licensed and certified by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The bill provides $1 million to DHHS for this purpose and requires reporting from the department.
