LEGISLATIVE SERVICES AGENCY
OFFICE OF FISCAL AND MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS
FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT
LS 7484 NOTE PREPARED: Mar 27, 2025
BILL NUMBER: SB 498 BILL AMENDED: Mar 27, 2025
SUBJECT: Child Services.
FIRST AUTHOR: Sen. Walker G BILL STATUS: CR Adopted - 2
nd
House
FIRST SPONSOR: Rep. Rowray
FUNDS AFFECTED:XGENERAL IMPACT: State
DEDICATED
FEDERAL
Summary of Legislation: (Amended) Education & Trainig Requirement Waiver: The bill amends the
educational and experiential qualifications for casework supervisors at child placing agencies.
Confidential Information: This bill allows the Indiana Board of Pharmacy to release confidential information
received by the INSPECT program to a supervisor of the Department of Child Services (DCS) who is
engaged in an investigation or adjudication of child abuse or neglect.
Child Care Facilities: The bill amends the definition of "emergency shelter" for purposes of statutes
governing residential child care facilities. It amends provisions under which the DCS may waive the
maximum duration for which a child may stay at a shelter care facility to remove a reference to the length
of the maximum duration. The bill provides that provisions requiring: (1) a residential child care facility to
ensure that a child admitted to the facility has received all immunizations and booster shots required under
specified statutes; and (2) a residential child care facility that administers psychotropic medication to obtain
periodic written reports from the licensed professional who prescribed the psychotropic medication; do not
apply to an emergency shelter.
Criminal History Background Checks: The bill provides that an applicant for licensure as a child caring
institution or licensure as a group home must obtain a criminal history check of any contractor or other
individual working for the applicant who is likely to have unsupervised contact with children within the
scope of the contractor's or individual's employment.
Effective Date: (Amended) Upon Passage; July 1, 2025.
Explanation of State Expenditures: Summary - The bill could increase the number of case work supervisors
in the state by removing education and experience requirements. This change is not expected to have an
impact on agency expenditures based on the number of vacant positions the DCS currently maintains for this
position.
Additionally, the changes to emergency shelter age and maximum stay requirements are not expected to have
SB 498 1 an impact on state expenditures.
(Revised) Additional Information - Shelter care facilities in the state are funded by a variety of state and local
grants and programs including; (1) Emergency Shelter Grants from the Indiana Housing Community
Development Association (ICHDA), (2) federal Social Services Block Grant funds, (3) the Low Barrier
Homeless Shelter Grant program (IHCDA), as well as local sources of funds like funds for township trustees.
[For FY 2024, the Low Barrier Homeless Shelter Grant program received a $20 M General Fund
appropriation. It did not receive an appropriation in FY 2025.]
Vacant Position Information: As of December 2024, the DCS has a total of 1,325 vacant positions worth a
total of $80.3 M in annual salary. Of these positions, 130 vacancies are for case work supervisors that are
worth $9.9 M in annual salary.
The bill also clarifies instances when the DCS is to request criminal history background information for
certain contractors who work with child caring institutions and group homes. This change is not expected
to have a discernible fiscal impact on criminal history background checks requested by the Department.
Explanation of State Revenues:
Explanation of Local Expenditures:
Explanation of Local Revenues:
State Agencies Affected: DCS.
Local Agencies Affected:
Information Sources: State Staffing Report, December 2024.
Fiscal Analyst: Bill Brumbach, 317-232-9559.
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