NOTE: The governor signed this measure on 5/1/2015. SENATE BILL 15-242 BY SENATOR(S) Grantham, Lambert, Steadman, Aguilar, Donovan, Garcia, Guzman, Heath, Johnston, Jones, Kefalas, Kerr, Merrifield, Newell, Todd, Ulibarri; also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Young, Hamner, Rankin, Fields, Garnett, Ginal, Kraft-Tharp, Lee, Lontine, McCann, Melton, Moreno, Pettersen, Primavera, Rosenthal, Ryden, Salazar, Singer, Williams, Winter, Hullinghorst. Concerning an allocation in addition to the child welfare block grant to counties for the purpose of hiring new child welfare staff, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado: SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 26-5-103.5, add (5) as follows: 26-5-103.5. Child welfare allocations committee - organization - advisory duties. (5) Pursuant to section 26-5-104 (3), the child welfare allocations committee shall develop a formula to allocate additional funding to counties in addition to the child welfare block grant for the specific purpose of hiring new child welfare staff at the county level in addition to county child welfare staff existing as of January 1, 2015, pursuant to the requirements of section 26-5-104 (8). Counties shall continue to pay for child welfare staff positions existing as of January 1, 2015, through the child welfare block grant. The child welfare allocations committee shall modify the allocation formula as necessary in consideration of any findings from the child welfare caseload study performed pursuant to section 26-5-112 at such time as those findings are available. SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 26-5-104, add (8) as follows: 26-5-104. Funding of child welfare services - rules. (8) County-level child welfare staff. (a) For the state fiscal year 2015-16, and for each state fiscal year thereafter, each county may receive a capped allocation in addition to its portion of the child welfare block grant for the specific purpose of hiring new child welfare staff at the county level in addition to child welfare staff existing as of January 1, 2015. A county that utilizes said additional allocation shall continue to pay for child welfare staff positions existing as of January 1, 2015, through the child welfare block grant. The child welfare allocations committee shall determine the allocation formula pursuant to section 26-5-103.5 (5). (b) Each county that receives an allocation for child welfare staff pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (8) shall provide a ten percent match to state and federal moneys provided pursuant to this subsection (8); except that a county that qualifies as tier 1 or tier 2 for purposes of the county tax base relief fund, as defined in section 26-1-126 (3) and (4), is funded at one hundred percent of state and federal funds provided pursuant to this subsection (8). (c) Any moneys allocated pursuant to this subsection (8) that are not expended by the end of a fiscal year for the purpose specified in paragraph (a) of this subsection (8) must revert back to the general fund. SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 26-5-112 as follows: 26-5-112. Child welfare caseload study - repeal. (1) The state department is authorized to contract for an external study concerning the child welfare caseload by county. The state department shall award the contract for the study, and the study must be complete on or before June 30, 2016. The state department shall develop criteria for and components of the study, with input from the child welfare allocations committee, established in section 26-5-103.5. The final study results shall be provided to the child welfare allocations committee. (2) This section is repealed, effective July 1, 2017. SECTION 4. Appropriation. (1) For the 2015-16 state fiscal year, $6,320,443 is appropriated to the department of human services for use by the division of child welfare. This appropriation consists of $5,714,028 from the general fund and $606,415 cash funds from local funds. To implement this act, the division may use this appropriation as follows: (a) $6,034,925, which consists of $5,428,510 from the general fund and $606,415 cash funds from local funds, for allocation to counties for the hiring of local child welfare case workers, child welfare case aides, and child welfare supervisors pursuant to section 26-5-104 (8) (a), C.R.S.; (b) $90,468 from the general fund for training, which amount is based on an assumption that the division will require an additional 1.0 FTE; and (c) $195,050 from the general fund for the monitoring of local child welfare staffing and the child welfare caseload study pursuant to section 26-5-112, C.R.S. (2) For the 2015-16 state fiscal year, the general assembly anticipates that the department of human services will receive $87,704 in federal funds to implement this act. The appropriation in subsection (1) of this section is based on the assumption that the department will receive this amount of federal funds, which is included for informational purposes only. SECTION 5. Safety clause. The general assembly hereby finds, determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety. ____________________________ ____________________________ Bill L. Cadman Dickey Lee Hullinghorst PRESIDENT OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES ____________________________ ____________________________ Cindi L. Markwell Marilyn Eddins SECRETARY OF CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES APPROVED________________________________________ _________________________________________ John W. Hickenlooper GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO