House Committee on Public Health Care & Human Services (04/21/2015)

Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC HEALTH CARE & HUMAN SERVICES

Date:	04/21/2015	ATTENDANCE

Time:	01:30 PM to 02:34 PM	Conti	*
		Danielson	X
Place:	HCR 0107	Everett	*
		Ginal	X
This Meeting was called to order by		Joshi	X
	Representative Primavera	Klingenschmitt	X
		Landgraf	X
This Report was prepared by		Melton	E
	Elizabeth Burger	Moreno	X
		Tyler	X
		Windholz	*
		Singer	*
		Primavera	X
		X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call

Bills Addressed:		Action Taken:
HB15-1296 HB15-1361 HB15-1355 HB15-1358		Postponed Indefinitely Postponed Indefinitely Referred to the Committee of the Whole Referred to Appropriations

01:30 PM -- HB 15-1296

Representatives Fields and and Priola introduced House Bill 15-1296, which creates a higher education sexual assault task force. The committee previously heard testimony on the bill on March 31, 2015. Representative Fields described the genesis of the bill. She stated that the institutions of higher education will host a forum to discuss the issue of sexual assault on college campuses in lieu of forming the task force required by the bill. Representative Priola discussed the need for dialogue regarding this issue. Representative Fields responded to questions from the committee regarding the bill's fiscal note.


BILL:	HB15-1296
TIME:	01:37:18 PM
MOVED:	Moreno
MOTION:	Postpone House Bill 15-1296 indefinitely. The motion passed on a vote of 12-0, with one member excused.
SECONDED:	Singer
		VOTE
	Conti	Yes
	Danielson	Yes
	Everett	Yes
	Ginal	Yes
	Joshi	Yes
	Klingenschmitt	Yes
	Landgraf	Yes
	Melton	Excused
	Moreno	Yes
	Tyler	Yes
	Windholz	Yes
	Singer	Yes
	Primavera	Yes

Final YES: 12 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

01:38 PM -- HB 15-1361

Representatives Moreno and DelGrosso introduced House Bill 15-1361. The bill prohibits the Tony Grampsas Youth Services board from placing a cap on the dollar amount of the grant awarded to an organization through the Tony Grampsas Youth Services Program. They discussed action of the Tony Grampsas Board of Directors regarding this issue and requested that the bill be postponed indefinitely.


BILL:	HB15-1361
TIME:	01:40:19 PM
MOVED:	Moreno
MOTION:	Postpone House Bill 15-1361 indefinitely. The motion passed on a vote of 12-0, with one member excused.
SECONDED:	Singer
		VOTE
	Conti	Yes
	Danielson	Yes
	Everett	Yes
	Ginal	Yes
	Joshi	Yes
	Klingenschmitt	Yes
	Landgraf	Yes
	Melton	Excused
	Moreno	Yes
	Tyler	Yes
	Windholz	Yes
	Singer	Yes
	Primavera	Yes

Final YES: 12 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

01:42 PM -- HB 15-1355

Representatives Saine and Singer introduced House Bill 15-1355. The bill allows an adult adoptee to obtain direct access to a non-certified copy of any unaltered original birth certificate and the amended birth certificate of an adult sibling or half-sibling who was born, relinquished, or adopted in Colorado. Representative Saine responded to questions from the committee regarding the privacy rights of adoptees and adoptive parents.


BILL:	HB15-1355
TIME:	01:47:58 PM
MOVED:	Singer
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 15-1355 to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed on a vote of 12-0, with one member excused.
SECONDED:	Primavera
		VOTE
	Conti	Yes
	Danielson	Yes
	Everett	Yes
	Ginal	Yes
	Joshi	Yes
	Klingenschmitt	Yes
	Landgraf	Yes
	Melton	Excused
	Moreno	Yes
	Tyler	Yes
	Windholz	Yes
	Singer	Yes
	Primavera	Yes

Final YES: 12 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

01:49 PM -- HB 15-1358

Representative Singer introduced House Bill 15-1358. The bill continues the Differential Response Pilot Program as a permanent program and removes the pilot program reporting requirements and repeal date. The Differential Response Pilot Program, which is administered in selected counties and overseen by the Department of Human Services, identifies low- and moderate-risk cases of abuse or neglect and diverts families to voluntary services rather than referring them to potentially adversarial court intervention. The pilot program is currently operating in Arapahoe, Fremont, Garfield, Jefferson, Larimer, Boulder, Chaffee, Eagle, La Plata, Lincoln, Mesa, and San Juan counties and is scheduled to repeal on July 1, 2015. He responded to questions from the committee regarding statistics on the success of the pilot program. He explained that studies have found that the pilot program results in outcomes for children that are as safe as the traditional child welfare response. Two handouts were distributed to the committee (Attachments A and B).

150421 AttachA.pdf

150421 AttachB.pdf

02:00 PM -- Angela Lytle, Arapahoe County, testified in support of the bill. She described how the Differential Response Pilot Program operates in Arapahoe County and described the benefits of the program. She stated that the county's timeliness measures in responding to allegations of abuse or neglect have improved, and the number of families who have been re-referred to child welfare services after receiving services from the county has decreased. She noted that the program has resulted in a reduction in the number of children placed out of the home and the number of cases of abuse and neglect within the county. She stated that the bill promotes engagement with families to promote good outcomes for families and children.

02:04 PM -- Commissioner Steve Johnson, Larimer County Commissioner, testified in support of the bill. He described the operation of the program in Larimer County, and a study on the pilot program conducted by Colorado State University. He discussed the findings of the study. He discussed how the differential response differs from the traditional child welfare investigative response. He responded to questions from the committee regarding whether families who are initially referred to differential response are ever referred to a more traditional child welfare response. Ms. Lytle responded to additional questions from the committee regarding the involvement of grandparents in child welfare cases and whether the bill will result in additional costs for counties. Committee discussion regarding the program continued.

02:25 PM -- Laura Solomon, Colorado Department of Human Services, testified in support of the bill. She stated that differential response has significant benefits for families involved in the child welfare system. She responded to questions from the committee regarding the current application process for counties to participate in the pilot program.

02:31 PM

Representative Singer gave concluding remarks regarding the bill.


BILL:	HB15-1358
TIME:	02:33:07 PM
MOVED:	Singer
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 15-1358 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 9-3, with one member excused.
SECONDED:	Ginal
		VOTE
	Conti	Yes
	Danielson	Yes
	Everett	No
	Ginal	Yes
	Joshi	No
	Klingenschmitt	No
	Landgraf	Yes
	Melton	Excused
	Moreno	Yes
	Tyler	Yes
	Windholz	Yes
	Singer	Yes
	Primavera	Yes

Final YES: 9 NO: 3 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

02:34 PM

The committee adjourned.