NOTE: The governor signed this measure on 6/5/2015.
      
      
      HOUSE BILL 15-1248
      
      
      BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Singer, Buckner, Duran, Fields, Ginal,
      Hamner, Lontine, Melton, Moreno, Pabon, Pettersen, Primavera,
      Rosenthal, Ryden, Salazar, Vigil, Williams, Winter, Young, Hullinghorst;
      also SENATOR(S) Hill, Guzman, Heath, Johnston, Kefalas, Kerr,
      Martinez Humenik, Merrifield, Newell, Steadman, Todd.
      
      
      Concerning limited access by private child placement agencies to
           records relating to child abuse or neglect for purposes of
           ensuring safe placements for foster children, 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, 19-1-307, add (2) (v)
      as follows:
      
           19-1-307.  Dependency and neglect records and information -
      access - fee - rules - records and reports fund - misuse of information
      - penalty. (2)  Records and reports - access to certain persons -
      agencies. Except as otherwise provided in section 19-1-303, only the
      following persons or agencies shall be given access to child abuse or
      neglect records and reports:
      
           (v)  A licensed child placement agency, for the purpose of
      screening prospective foster parents, any adult residing in the
      home of the prospective foster parent, and specialized group
      facilities, pursuant to the following conditions:
      
           (I)  Access is limited to information concerning a current or
      prospective foster parent, an adult residing in the home of the
      current or prospective foster parent, or a specialized group
      facility and includes only the following information:
      
           (A)  Whether a report of child abuse or neglect has been
      made regarding the person;
      
           (B)  The general nature of the alleged incident of child
      abuse or neglect, including the category of the allegation, and
      the name and relationship of the perpetrator and victim;
      
           (C)  Whether the report of child abuse or neglect was
      screened for assessment;
      
           (D)  The outcome of the investigation including the
      investigator's summary of the reason or reasons for his or her
      finding or conclusions; and
      
           (E)  Child care and child welfare licensing history;
      
           (II)  Access is limited to one person at each child placement
      agency, as designated by the agency and reported to the state
      department of human services;
      
           (III)  The state department of human services shall monitor
      a child placement agency's access to the records and reports of
      child abuse or neglect to ensure that the child placement agency
      is accessing the records and reports of child abuse or neglect in
      accordance with this paragraph (v); and
      
           (IV)  An unaccepted referral or an unfounded or
      inconclusive assessment pursuant to subparagraph (I) of this
      paragraph (v) does not necessarily require that a current or
      prospective foster parent be denied placement pursuant to this
      article.
      
           SECTION 2.  Appropriation. (1)  For the 2015-16 state fiscal year,
      $37,138 is appropriated to the department of human services. This
      appropriation is from the general fund. To implement this act, the
      department may use this appropriation as follows:
      
           (a)  $20,538 for use by the division of child welfare for monitoring
      Trails usage, which amount is based on an assumption that the division will
      require an additional 0.4 FTE; and
      
           (b)  $16,600 for use by the office of information technology services
      for Colorado Trails.
      
           SECTION 3.  Effective date. This act takes effect July 1, 2015.
      
           SECTION 4.  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.
      
      
      
      
      ________________________________________________________
      Dickey Lee Hullinghorst                Bill L. Cadman
      SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE                     PRESIDENT OF
      OF REPRESENTATIVES                         THE SENATE
      
      
      
      
      
      
      ____________________________  ____________________________
      Marilyn Eddins                      Cindi L. Markwell
      CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE                 SECRETARY OF
      OF REPRESENTATIVES                         THE SENATE
      
      
      
      
                  APPROVED________________________________________
      
      
      
      
      
                                    _________________________________________
                                    John W. Hickenlooper
                                    GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO