SLS 202ES-795 ORIGINAL
2020 Second Extraordinary Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 50
BY SENATOR JACKSON
TANF. Requests the Department of Children and Family Services and the Louisiana
Department of Health to study further ways to protect certain developmentally and
physically disabled TANF recipients from sexual and physical exploitation or abuse by
certain caregivers.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To urge and request the Department of Children and Family Services and the Louisiana
3 Department of Health to study and develop mechanisms and processes to further
4 protect developmentally and physically disabled state benefit recipients from sexual
5 and physical exploitation or abuse and to present the findings and make
6 recommendations for legislation to the Senate Select Committee on Women and
7 Children no later than February 28, 2021.
8 WHEREAS, the Department of Children and Family Services administers and
9 supervises the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) State Plan which provides
10 financial assistance and supplemental nutrition for low-income children and adults, many
11 of whom suffer from developmental or physical disabilities; and
12 WHEREAS, when a developmentally disabled or physically disabled individuals is
13 entitled to TANF benefits, a caregiver may qualify to receive those TANF benefits on behalf
14 of the disabled individual; and
15 WHEREAS, recent medical testimony before the Senate Select Committee on
16 Women and Children revealed that certain developmentally delayed patients were being
17 sexually and physically exploited and abused by caregivers; and
18 WHEREAS, studies have shown that children are more likely to be abused if they
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SLS 202ES-795 ORIGINAL
1 are living with certain caregivers and adults with developmental disabilities are more likely
2 to be abused compared to the general population; and
3 WHEREAS, the Louisiana Department of Health administers the state's Medicaid
4 program, which is the state's health coverage for low-income children and adults who receive
5 TANF assistance; and
6 WHEREAS, Medicaid health benefits cover an annual wellness visit or routine
7 medical examination for each beneficiary with a primary care physician or other health care
8 provider; and
9 WHEREAS, although the Department of Children and Family Services and the
10 Louisiana Department of Health both have programs to assess and review the suitability of
11 caregivers, further resources may be needed to protect developmentally and physically
12 disabled children and adults from exploitation and abuse by caregivers; and
13 WHEREAS, it would further protect efforts to require certain physically or
14 developmentally disabled children who are recipients of TANF benefits to undergo annual
15 medical examinations with their primary care physicians outside of the view of caregivers
16 so as to eliminate or minimize the possibility of sexual or physical exploitation or abuse; and
17 WHEREAS, it would further protection efforts to require certain physically or
18 developmentally disabled individuals who are recipients of TANF benefits to undergo
19 annual medical examinations with their primary care physicians outside of the view of their
20 caregivers so as to eliminate or minimize the possibility of sexual or physical exploitation
21 or abuse.
22 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
23 does hereby urge and request the Department of Children and Family Services and the
24 Louisiana Department of Health to study and develop mechanisms and processes to further
25 protect developmentally and physically disabled state benefit recipients from sexual and
26 physical exploitation or abuse and to present the findings and make recommendations for
27 legislation to the Senate Select Committee on Women and Children no later than February
28 28, 2021.
29 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
30 Department of Children and Family Services and the Louisiana Department of Health.
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SLS 202ES-795 ORIGINAL
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Carla S. Roberts.
DIGEST
SR 50 Original 2020 Second Extraordinary Session Jackson
Requests the Dept. of Children and Family Services and the La. Dept. of Health to study and
develop mechanisms and processes to further protect certain developmentally and physically
disabled state benefit recipients from sexual and physical exploitation or abuse and to
present the findings and make recommendations for legislation to the Senate Select
Committee on Women and Children no later than February 28, 2021.
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