HLS 22RS-1346 ENGROSSED
2022 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 64
BY REPRESENTATIVE FREEMAN
CHILDREN/DCFS: Provides for a study relative to certain programs of crisis pregnancy
centers.
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To urge and request the Department of Children and Family Services to conduct a study to
3 evaluate the Alternatives to Abortion Initiative and to submit a written report of its
4 findings and recommendations to the Legislature of Louisiana.
5 WHEREAS, the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) created the
6Alternatives to Abortion Initiative by rule within the state's Temporary Assistance for Needy
7Families (TANF) program in 2005; and
8 WHEREAS, the Louisiana Administrative Code provides that, in accordance with
9the Alternatives to Abortion Services Program, DCFS shall enter into contracts to provide
10intervention services, including crisis intervention, counseling, mentoring, support services,
11and prenatal care information, in addition to information and referrals regarding healthy
12childbirth, adoption, and parenting, to help ensure healthy and full-term pregnancies as an
13alternative to abortion; and
14 WHEREAS, the TANF program was created to help families in need; and
15 WHEREAS, TANF assists needy families so that children can be cared for in their
16own homes, proposes preventative measures for out-of-wedlock pregnancy, encourages two-
17parent families, and aids in reducing the dependency of needy parents by assisting with job
18preparation; and
19 WHEREAS, a goal of the TANF program is to provide assistance to needy families
20so children may be cared for in their own homes or the homes of relatives and to encourage
21the formation and maintenance of two-parent families by providing pregnancy and parenting
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HCR NO. 64
1support to low-income women, their male partners, and families who are experiencing an
2unplanned pregnancy; and
3 WHEREAS, having information on the financing, contractor performance, and
4outcomes of the Alternatives to Abortion Initiative from a recent ten-year period will be
5valuable to the legislature in its efforts to evaluate this program.
6 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
7urge and request the Department of Children and Family Services to conduct a study to
8evaluate the Alternatives to Abortion Initiative.
9 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the goal of such study shall be the evaluation
10of the Alternatives to Abortion Initiative's effectiveness and outcomes, including evidence
11that the program is primarily serving pregnant women who are seeking abortions, evidence
12that the abstinence education provided by contractors has measurably delayed the sexual
13activity of program clients, evidence of an increased number of healthy, full-term, unplanned
14pregnancies, evidence of improved health and well-being of women experiencing an
15unplanned pregnancy, and evidence of the program's success in reducing the recurrence of
16adverse birth outcomes.
17 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the study shall include the following information
18relative to crisis pregnancy centers and the Alternatives to Abortion Initiative:
19 (1) The annual amount of funding allocated to the Alternatives to Abortion Initiative
20from TANF.
21 (2) All other sources of funding for the Alternatives to Abortion Initiative and the
22amount allocated from each source.
23 (3) All requests for proposals, responses to requests for proposals, approved or
24denied, and all contracts awarded or amended.
25 (4) All written reports relating to the initiative submitted by contractors and
26subcontractors to DCFS, including the DCFS and TANF Measures of Success monthly
27report and Quality Assurance Compliance reports.
28 (5) Contractor performance data, including but not limited to the number of clients
29served, parenting sessions held, individual counseling services held, support service
30referrals, full-term pregnancies, and abstinence sessions held.
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HCR NO. 64
1 (6) Information regarding the methodology and manner in which reimbursement
2rates are determined for direct services provided by each contractor and subcontractor.
3 (7) All performance enhancement plans submitted by contractors.
4 (8) All information and education, including curriculum, provided to clients
5regarding prenatal care, childbirth, adoption, parenting, and the use of abstinence to avoid
6unplanned and out-of-wedlock pregnancies.
7 (9) The administrative costs of the program and the annual administrative expenses
8for each contractor.
9 (10) The names, certifications, and licenses of all medical staff employed by each
10subcontractor.
11 (11) Lists of all agencies, healthcare providers, and other service providers to which
12clients are referred.
13 (12) All onsite programmatic reviews on the contractor and its subcontractors that
14were performed by DCFS.
15 (13) All subcontractors that have received funds through the Alternatives to
16Abortion Initiative.
17 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study called for in this Resolution shall
18examine the financing, contractor performance, and outcomes of the Alternatives to
19Abortion Initiative from Fiscal Years 2011 through 2021.
20 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the written report shall be submitted to the
21Legislature of Louisiana no later than thirty days prior to the convening of the 2023 Regular
22Session and made available to the public.
23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
24secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 64 Engrossed 2022 Regular Session Freeman
Requests the Dept. of Children and Family Services to conduct a study to evaluate the
Alternatives to Abortion Initiative and to report its findings and recommendations to the
Legislature of La. no later than 30 days prior to the convening of the 2023 R.S.
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