Bill Summary for Bill Number SB12-011

Date: 03/08/2012

Final
BILL SUMMARY for SB12-011

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

Votes: View-->	Action Taken:
Moved to refer Senate Bill 12-011 to the Committee	PASS

03:27 PM -- Senate Bill 12-011

Representative Summers presented Senate Bill 12-011 concerning the Differential Response Pilot Program for child abuse or neglect cases of low or moderate risk. The bill removes the five-county limit on the Differential Response Pilot Program in the Department of Human Services. Representative Summers distributed a handout (Attachment H) to the committee. He discussed prior legislation that created the pilot program for five counties for five years and the success of the pilot program.

03:33 PM -- Pat Ratliff, Colorado Counties, Inc., testified in the support of the bill. She explained that the pilot program has a few years before the complete review will be completed, but that the expansion of the pilot program through Senate Bill 12-011 would allow additional counties to join the program sooner. She explained the preparation process necessary to implement a differential response program in a county. She described the responses that occur in dependancy and neglect cases with differential response and traditional response.

03:37 PM -- Angela Lytle, Arapahoe County Department of Human Services, testified in support of the bill. She explained the process in both traditional and differential responses. She explained how differential response allows for family engagement. She explained the impact differential response has on social workers in doing their job. Ms. Lytle responded to questions about the criteria used to determine if differential response should be utilized in a case, the grants used to fund the program, whether spontaneous home visits occur, and whether consultation with school officials occur.

03:48 PM

Ms. Ratliff discussed the funding for the program. She discussed the need for the bill to expand the program.

03:49 PM

Ms. Lytle responded to questions about what constitutes a moderate case of abuse, how the differential response protocols were developed, and the data available on the pilot program.

03:56 PM -- Rebecca Meyers, National Association of Social Workers - Colorado, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Meyers responded to a question about the turnover rates for social workers.

04:00 PM -- Bob Grant, CASA Network, testified on the bill. He stated the CASA Network does not oppose the bill, but does have concerns about the program, including regarding the availability of data and how many of the differential response cases end up in the court system. He discussed the advocates, such as CASA volunteers and guardian ad litems, that children have access to when cases go through the court system. He expressed the need to define what constitutes a differential response case and what should be addressed in the rule-making process. Mr. Grant responded to questions about expanding the pilot program beyond five counties and whether the CASA Network will be involved in the rule-making process.

04:12 PM -- Ruby Richards, Colorado Department of Human Services, testified in support of the bill. She discussed the importance of the safety of children and the ability to address the needs of families. She responded to questions about the department's involvement with the counties that have implemented the pilot program and the TRAILS system. She responded to questions about how cases are investigated in counties that are not participating in the differential response pilot program and the re-referral rate in traditional response cases.

04:23 PM

Representative Young asked for data on re-referrals in traditional response cases. Representative Summers providing closing comments on the bill, including the involvement by the Department of Human Services with counties implementing differential response programs and the need for flexibility.


BILL:	SB12-011
TIME:	04:27:41 PM
MOVED:	Summers
MOTION:	Moved to refer Senate Bill 12-011 to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed on a vote of 12-0 with one member excused.
SECONDED:	Kefalas
		VOTE
	Bradford	Yes
	Brown	Yes
	Fields	Yes
	Joshi	Yes
	Kefalas	Yes
	Kerr J.	Yes
	Massey	Yes
	McCann	Excused
	Peniston	Yes
	Schafer S.	Yes
	Young	Yes
	Acree	Yes
	Summers	Yes

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

04:28 PM

The committee adjourned.