Bill Text: HI HB1382 | 2016 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Foster Care; Monthly Board Rate; Appropriation ($)
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-12-17 - Carried over to 2016 Regular Session. [HB1382 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2016-HB1382-Introduced.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
1382 |
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TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to foster care.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. Foster providers, including provisionally-licensed and licensed resource family homes, group homes, and child-caring institutions, are responsible for the care and maintenance of children who are placed in their care. These providers incur significant cost in fulfilling this responsibility, which includes the cost of providing food, shelter, clothing, transportation, daily supervision, medical care, personal essentials, school supplies, and a wide array of other necessities and services.
The legislature finds that the department of human services renders foster care maintenance payments to foster providers to cover costs incurred. However, even though funding was allocated last year to increase foster care maintenance payments for the first time in over two decades, the increased amount would still be inadequate and still falls significantly below the cost of adequate care and maintenance, considering the rate of inflation. Based on inflation, the relative board rate would be $970 in today's economy.
The purpose of this Act is to increase the minimum monthly foster care maintenance basic board rate and the maximum monthly difficulty of care rate.
SECTION 2. Effective July 1, 2015, the department of human services shall increase the monthly foster care maintenance basic board rate to no less than $ for payments made by the department of human services directly to resource family homes, group homes, and child-caring institutions under sections 17-1617-3 and 17-1617-4, Hawaii Administrative Rules.
SECTION 3. Effective July 1, 2015, the department of human services shall increase the maximum monthly difficulty of care rate to no less than $ for payments made by the department of human services directly to resource family homes, group homes, and child-caring institutions under sections 17-1617-3 and 17-1617-4, Hawaii Administrative Rules.
SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2015-2016 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2016-2017 for the purposes of this Act.
The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 5. The department of human services shall submit a report to the legislature on:
(1) The status and costs of implementing this Act;
(2) Any anticipated future costs related to implementing this Act; and
(3) The number of foster children affected by this Act; provided that for the purposes of this report a child shall be counted from the first day the child enters the foster care system,
no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2016.
SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2015.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
Foster Care; Monthly Board Rate; Appropriation
Description:
Increases the minimum monthly foster care basic board rate and foster care maximum difficulty of care rate. Requires Department of Human Services to report to the Legislature prior to the 2016 Regular Session. Appropriates funds.
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
