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General Assembly Committee Bill No. 452
January Session, 2019
LCO No. 3761
Referred to Committee on COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN
Introduced by:
(KID)
AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE STATE OVERSIGHT COUN CIL ON
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2019) (a) There shall be a State 1
Oversight Council on Children and Families which shall consist of the 2
following members: (1) Six members appointed by the Governor, 3
including two persons who are child care professionals, two persons 4
eighteen to twenty-five years of age, inclusive, served by the 5
Department of Children and Families, one person who is a child 6
psychiatrist licensed to practice medicine in this state and one person 7
who is an attorney who has expertise in legal issues related to children 8
and youth; (2) one member appointed by the speaker of the House of 9
Representatives, who has expertise in providing services to children 10
and youths; (3) one member appointed by the president pro tempore 11
of the Senate, who has expertise in providing behavioral health 12
services to children and youths served by the Department of Children 13
and Families; (4) one member appointed by the majority leader of the 14
House of Representatives, who is a parent, foster parent or family 15
member of a child or youth who has received or is receiving behavioral 16
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health services, child welfare services or juvenile services; (5) one 17
member appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, who is a 18
parent, foster parent or family member of a child or youth who has 19
received or is receiving behavioral health services, child welfare 20
services or juvenile services; (6) one member appointed by the 21
minority leader of the House of Representatives, who is a parent, foster 22
parent or family member of a child or youth who has received or is 23
receiving behavioral health services, child welfare services or juvenile 24
services; (7) one member appointed by the minority leader of the 25
Senate, who is an advocate for children and youths; and (8) six 26
members representing the regional advisory councils established 27
pursuant to section 17a-30 of the general statutes, appointed one each 28
by the members of each council. No more than half the members of the 29
council shall be persons who receive income from a private practice or 30
any public or private agency that delivers mental health, substance 31
abuse, child abuse prevention and treatment or child welfare services. 32
Members of the council shall serve without compensation, except for 33
necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. The 34
Department of Children and Families shall provide the council with 35
funding to facilitate the participation of those members representing 36
families and youth, as well as for other administrative support 37
services. Members shall serve on the council for terms of two years 38
each and no member shall serve for more than three consecutive terms. 39
The commissioner shall be an ex-officio member of the council without 40
vote and shall attend its meetings. Any member who fails to attend 41
three consecutive meetings or fifty per cent of all meetings during any 42
calendar year shall be deemed to have resigned. Any vacancy shall be 43
filled by the appointing authority. The council shall elect two 44
chairpersons from among its members. 45
(b) The State Oversight Council on Children and Families shall meet 46
quarterly, and more often upon the call of the chairpersons or a 47
majority of the members. The council's meetings shall be held at 48
locations that facilitate participation by members of the public, and its 49
agenda and minutes shall be posted on the Internet web site of the 50
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Department of Children and Families. A majority of the members 51
present shall constitute a quorum. The council shall have complete 52
access to all records of the institutions and facilities of the department 53
in furtherance of its duties, while at all times protecting the right of 54
privacy of all individuals involved, as provided in section 17a-28 of the 55
general statutes. 56
(c) The duties of the State Oversight Council on Children and 57
Families shall be to: (1) Recommend to the commissioner and the joint 58
standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 59
matters relating to children programs, legislation or other matters that 60
will improve services for children and youths, including behavioral 61
health services; (2) annually review and advise the commissioner 62
regarding the proposed budget; (3) interpret to the community at large 63
the policies, duties and programs of the department; (4) issue any 64
reports it deems necessary to the Governor, the Commissioner of 65
Children and Families and, in accordance with the provisions of 66
section 11-4a of the general statutes, the joint standing committee of 67
the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to 68
children; (5) assist in the development of and review and comment on 69
the strategic plan developed by the department pursuant to subsection 70
(b) of section 17a-3 of the general statutes, as amended by this act; (6) 71
receive on a quarterly basis from the commissioner a status report on 72
the department's progress in carrying out the strategic plan; (7) 73
independently monitor the department's progress in achieving its 74
goals as expressed in the strategic plan; and (8) offer assistance and 75
provide an outside perspective to the department so that it may be able 76
to achieve the goals expressed in the strategic plan. 77
(d) (1) Not later than July 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, the State 78
Oversight Council on Children and Families shall submit a report, in 79
accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, 80
to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having 81
cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and children. Such 82
report shall include, but not be limited to, (A) findings and 83
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recommendations regarding the policies and practices of the 84
Department of Children and Families; (B) information regarding the 85
impact of such policies on safety, permanency and well-being 86
outcomes for children and youths; and (C) any recommendations for 87
legislation. 88
(2) Not later than thirty days after the receipt of the report 89
submitted pursuant to this subsection, the chairpersons of the State 90
Oversight Council on Children and Families shall appear before the 91
joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance 92
of matters relating to appropriations and children to discuss said 93
report. 94
Sec. 2. Subdivision (2) of section 17a-1 of the general statutes is 95
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 96
1, 2019): 97
(2) "Council" means the State [Advisory] Oversight Council on 98
Children and Families; 99
Sec. 3. Subsection (b) of section 17a-3 of the general statutes is 100
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 101
1, 2019): 102
(b) (1) The department, with the assistance of the State [Advisory] 103
Oversight Council on Children and Families, and in consultation with 104
representatives of the children and families served by the department, 105
providers of services to children and families, advocates, and others 106
interested in the well-being of children and families in this state, shall 107
develop and regularly update a single, comprehensive strategic plan 108
for meeting the needs of children and families served by the 109
department. In developing and updating the strategic plan, the 110
department shall identify and define agency goals and indicators of 111
progress, including benchmarks, in achieving such goals. The strategic 112
plan shall include, but not be limited to: (A) The department's mission 113
statement; (B) the expected results for the department and each of its 114
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mandated areas of responsibility; (C) a schedule of action steps and a 115
time frame for achieving such results and fulfilling the department's 116
mission that includes strategies for working with other state agencies 117
to leverage resources and coordinate service delivery; (D) strategies, 118
informed by data on referrals, substantiations, removal, placements 119
and retention, by which the department shall identify racial and ethnic 120
disparities within child welfare practice and work to eliminate such 121
disparities; (E) priorities for services and estimates of the funding and 122
other resources necessary to carry them out; (F) standards for 123
programs and services that are based on research-based best practices, 124
when available; and (G) relevant measures of performance. 125
(2) The department shall begin the strategic planning process on 126
July 1, 2009. The department shall hold regional meetings on the plan 127
to ensure public input and shall post the plan and the plan's updates 128
and progress reports on the department's web site. The department 129
shall submit the strategic plan to the State [Advisory] Oversight 130
Council on Children and Families for review and comment prior to its 131
final submission to the General Assembly and the Governor. On or 132
before July 1, 2010, the department shall submit the strategic plan, in 133
accordance with section 11-4a, to the General Assembly and the 134
Governor. 135
(3) The commissioner shall track and report on progress in 136
achieving the strategic plan's goals not later than October 1, 2010, and 137
quarterly thereafter, to [said State Advisory Council] the State 138
Oversight Council on Children and Families. The commissioner shall 139
submit a status report on progress in achieving the results in the 140
strategic plan, in accordance with section 11-4a, not later than July 1, 141
2011, and annually thereafter to the General Assembly, the joint 142
standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 143
matters relating to children and the Governor. 144
Sec. 4. Subsections (e) and (f) of section 17a-4a of the general statutes 145
are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective 146
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July 1, 2019): 147
(e) Not later than October first of each year, the advisory committee 148
shall submit a status report on local systems of care and practice 149
standards for state-funded behavioral health programs to the 150
Commissioner of Children and Families and the State [Advisory] 151
Oversight Council on Children and Families. 152
(f) Not later than October first of each odd-numbered year, the 153
advisory committee shall submit recommendations concerning the 154
provision of behavioral health services for all children in the state to 155
the Commissioner of Children and Families and the State [Advisory] 156
Oversight Council on Children and Families. The recommendations 157
shall address, but shall not be limited to, the following: (1) The target 158
population for children with behavioral health needs, and assessment 159
and benefit options for children with such needs; (2) the 160
appropriateness and quality of care for children with behavioral health 161
needs; (3) the coordination of behavioral health services provided 162
under the HUSKY Health program with services provided by other 163
publicly-funded programs; (4) performance standards for preventive 164
services, family supports and emergency service training programs; (5) 165
assessments of community-based and residential care programs; (6) 166
outcome measurements by reviewing provider practice; and (7) a 167
medication protocol and standards for the monitoring of medication 168
and after-care programs. 169
Sec. 5. Subsection (l) of section 17a-6 of the general statutes is 170
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 171
1, 2019): 172
(l) Submit to the [state advisory council] State Oversight Council on 173
Children and Families for its comment proposals for new policies or 174
programs and the proposed budget for the department; 175
Sec. 6. Section 17a-9 of the general statutes is repealed and the 176
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2019): 177
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(a) The commissioner shall appoint, after consultation with the 178
[state advisory council] State Oversight Council on Children and 179
Families, and may remove in a like manner, two deputy 180
commissioners who shall be in the unclassified service. The deputy 181
commissioner for program services shall be a clinically competent 182
professional person experienced in one or more fields of children's 183
services and in the administration of such services, and shall be 184
responsible for the supervision of all clinical treatment and program 185
services of the department. The deputy commissioner of 186
administrative services shall have experience in business or 187
institutional administration and shall be responsible for the 188
organizational and general administrative services of the department. 189
(b) The commissioner shall appoint, after consultation with the 190
[state advisory council] State Oversight Council on Children and 191
Families, and may remove in like manner, not more than two program 192
directors who shall be in the unclassified service, provided the title or 193
duties of any director appointed pursuant to this subsection may be 194
changed as the commissioner deems necessary after consultation with 195
the [state advisory council] State Oversight Council on Children and 196
Families. Such directors may oversee community programs and 197
services and the operation of institutions and facilities. 198
(c) The commissioner shall, in accordance with chapter 67 and after 199
consultation with the [state advisory council] State Oversight Council 200
on Children and Families, appoint the administrative heads of all of 201
the institutions and facilities transferred to the department and such 202
other institutions and facilities as now are or hereafter may be 203
established by or transferred to the department. Such administrative 204
heads shall have skill and experience in the administration of 205
children's services and shall manage their institutions and facilities in 206
accordance with the regulations and orders of the commissioner. 207
(d) The commissioner shall, after consultation with the [state 208
advisory council] State Oversight Council on Children and Families, 209
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appoint and may remove in a like manner, up to six regional directors 210
who shall be in the unclassified service. Each regional director shall 211
have skill and experience in the field of children's services and in the 212
administration of such services. Each regional director shall be subject 213
to the direction of the commissioner and shall be responsible for the 214
operation and administration of services provided or funded by the 215
department in the regions created by the commissioner pursuant to 216
subsection (a) of section 17a-30. 217
Sec. 7. Subsection (a) of section 17a-32a of the general statutes is 218
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 219
1, 2019): 220
(a) The facilities that come under the jurisdiction of the Department 221
of Children and Families, as enumerated in section 17a-32, shall submit 222
an annual report to the State [Advisory] Oversight Council on 223
Children and Families and to their respective advisory groups, 224
established pursuant to subsection (b) of section 17a-6. The report shall 225
include, but not be limited to: (1) Aggregate profiles of the residents; 226
(2) a description of and update on major initiatives; (3) key outcome 227
indicators and results; (4) costs associated with operating the facility; 228
and (5) a description of educational, vocational and literacy programs, 229
and behavioral, treatment and other services available to the residents 230
and their outcomes. Each report submitted pursuant to this subsection 231
shall be posted on the department's web site. 232
Sec. 8. Section 17a-4 of the general statutes is repealed. (Effective July 233
1, 2019) 234
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2019 New section
Sec. 2 July 1, 2019 17a-1(2)
Sec. 3 July 1, 2019 17a-3(b)
Sec. 4 July 1, 2019 17a-4a(e) and (f)
Sec. 5 July 1, 2019 17a-6(l)
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Sec. 6 July 1, 2019 17a-9
Sec. 7 July 1, 2019 17a-32a(a)
Sec. 8 July 1, 2019 Repealer section
Statement of Purpose:
To establish a State Oversight Council on Children and Families in
place of the State Advisory Council on Children and Families, and
require the State Oversight Council on Children and Families to report
annually to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly
having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and children.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline,
except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is
not underlined.]
Co-Sponsors: SEN. FASANO, 34th Dist.; SEN. WITKOS, 8th Dist.
SEN. SOMERS, 18th Dist.
S.B. 452