Page 1
February 3, 2023 HB 23-1024
Legislative Council Staff
Nonpartisan Services for Colorado’s Legislature
Fiscal Note
Drafting Number:
Prime Sponsors:
LLS 23-0303
Rep. Gonzales-Gutierrez;
Epps
Sen. Exum
Date:
Bill Status:
Fiscal Analyst:
February 3, 2023
House Judiciary
Shukria Maktabi | 303-866-4720
shukria.maktabi@coleg.gov
Bill Topic: RELATIVE & KIN PLACEMENT OF A CHILD
Summary of
Fiscal Impact:
☐ State Revenue
☒ State Expenditure
☐ State Transfer
☐ TABOR Refund
☒ Local Government
☐ Statutory Public Entity
The bill enacts several measures related to the placement of children or youth with
relatives or kin. The bill increases state expenditures in FY2023-24 only and impacts
state and local workload on an ongoing basis beginning in FY 2023-24.
Appropriation
Summary:
For FY 2023-24, the bill requires an appropriation of $21,352 to the Department of
Human Services.
Fiscal Note
Status:
The fiscal note reflects the introduced bill.
Table 1
State Fiscal Impacts Under HB 23-1024
Budget Year
FY 2023-24
Out Year
FY 2024-25
Revenue - -
Expenditures General Fund $13,879 -
Federal Funds $7,473 -
Total Expenditures $21,352 -
Transfers - -
Other Budget Impacts General Fund Reserve $2,082
Page 2
February 3, 2023 HB 23-1024
Summary of Legislation
The bill enacts several measures related to the placement of children and youth temporarily placed
out-of-the-home with relative or kin. These measures include:
allowing relatives to appeal denied placements;
requiring courts to inquire about and update relative or kin affidavits;
requiring county department of human services to assist relatives in obtaining resources to care
for a child or youth and providing options to participate in their care and planning;
specifying what must be included in notices from county department of human services to
relatives or kin when a child or youth is removed from their home;
requiring courts to prioritize placements with relative or kin and presume that placement with
them is in the child or youth’s best interest, unless the placement jeopardizes their health, safety
or welfare;
requiring courts provide reasoning when placement with relative or kin is denied; and
requiring caseworkers to inform courts of efforts to place the child or youth with a relative.
State Expenditures
The bill increases state expenditures in the Department of Human Services (DHS) by $21,352 in
FY 2023-24, paid from the General Fund and federal funds, as described below. The bill also impacts
workload in the Judicial Department, Office of Child’s Representative (OCR), and the Office of
Respondent Parents’ Counsel (ORPC).
Department of Human Services. The DHS will have a one-time cost of $21,352 to modify TRAILS, its
child welfare data system, to provide caseworkers with the functionality to notify relatives and
identified kin. This cost includes business analysis, development, quality assurance, and training.
TRAILS upgrade costs receive a 35 percent federal match, with the remaining costs coming from the
General Fund.
Judicial Department. Workload in trials courts may increase from a greater number of appeals filed
and additional or longer hearings in dependency and neglect cases. Assuming county departments
of social services and the courts follow the requirements of the bill to place children with relatives
when appropriate, the number of appeals filed is assumed to be limited. Further, any increase in
hearing time will likely only apply to a subset of cases. For these reasons, this workload can be
managed within existing resources by the trial courts.
Independent Judicial Offices Involved in Child Welfare. Starting in FY 2023-24, the bill will impact
workload in the OCR and the ORPC. First, workload may increase due to the appellate rights granted
to relatives or kin that are denied placement, which will increase case length. However, workload
may decrease to the extent that the number of foster parent intervener cases are reduced leading to
shorter cases. The fiscal note assumes that any change in workload or costs to these agencies will be
addressed through the annual budget process.
Page 3
February 3, 2023 HB 23-1024
Local Government
This bill may increase workload and costs for county department of human services. Giving appellate
rights for relatives and kin in child welfare cases may result in delays in permanency placements for
children and youth in some cases. Depending on the temporary placement in these cases, counties
can incur costs. Furthermore, the expanded efforts to locate and involve kin and relatives in the
process can add to county caseworker workload. Additionally, the county department of human
services is required to provide necessary resources to relatives and kin, within reasonable limits, to
facilitate placements. These costs and workload impacts will vary by county.
Effective Date
The bill takes effect 90 days following adjournment of the General Assembly sine die, assuming no
referendum petition is filed.
State Appropriations
For FY 2023-24, the bill requires a total appropriation of $21,352 to the Department of Human Services,
including:
$13,879 from the General Fund; and
$7,473 from federal funds.
State and Local Government Contacts
Child Welfare Counties District Attorneys
Human Services Information Technology
The revenue and expenditure impacts in this fiscal note represent changes from current law under the bill for each
fiscal year. For additional information about fiscal notes, please visit: leg.colorado.gov/fiscalnotes.