Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H5995 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3
4	4
5	5	2025 -- H 5995
6	6	========
7	7	LC001982
8	8	========
9	9	S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DEPARTMENT OF HUM AN
16	16	SERVICES
17	17	Introduced By: Representatives Morales, Stewart, Felix, Tanzi, Handy, Cruz, Potter, and
18	18	Casimiro
19	19	Date Introduced: February 28, 2025
20	20	Referred To: House Finance
21	21
22	22
23	23	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
24	24	SECTION 1. Section 42-12-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-12 entitled "Department 1
25	25	of Human Services" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
26	26	42-12-1. Department of human services. 3
27	27	(1) There is hereby established within the executive branch of state government a 4
28	28	department which shall be known as the department of human services. The department shall be 5
29	29	headed by a director of human services who shall be appointed by the governor with the advice and 6
30	30	consent of the senate and who shall serve at the pleasure of the governor. 7
31	31	(2) The director shall carry out all of the provisions of all of the general and public laws 8
32	32	heretofore carried out by the department of education and the director of social welfare with relation 9
33	33	to: 10
34	34	(a) Vocational rehabilitation; 11
35	35	(b) Division of correctional services; and 12
36	36	(c) Division of community services, whose several functions are by this chapter transferred 13
37	37	to the department of human services. 14
38	38	(3) The director shall carry out all department recruitment efforts and job training to attract 15
39	39	qualified candidates eligible for the following positions: 16
40	40	(a) Eligibility technician; 17
41	41	(b) Child service enforcement agent; 18
42	42
43	43
44	44	LC001982 - Page 2 of 4
45	45	(c) Social case worker I & II; 1
46	46	(d) Employment career advisor; 2
47	47	(e) The director shall promulgate rules concerning the eligibility of persons for the job 3
48	48	training program; the granting of a three thousand dollar ($3,000) stipend from available funds, for 4
49	49	eligible applicants who have successfully completed the job training program and the department’s 5
50	50	probationary period. 6
51	51	SECTION 2. Section 42-72-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-72 entitled "Department 7
52	52	of Children, Youth and Families" is hereby amended to read as follows: 8
53	53	42-72-4. Qualifications and duties of director. 9
54	54	(a) The director shall meet the following minimum qualifications: 10
55	55	(1) Hold a master’s degree in social work or a closely related field, and have demonstrated 11
56	56	experience in child welfare and/or children’s mental health, and/or juvenile justice; and 12
57	57	(2) Have at least five (5) years of increasing responsibility in administering programs for 13
58	58	children. 14
59	59	(b) The director’s duties include, but are not limited to: 15
60	60	(1) Administration and direction of the operation of the department; 16
61	61	(2) Examination of programs, services, and plans for children for the purpose of identifying 17
62	62	duplications, inefficiencies, effectiveness of programs, resources and unmet needs; 18
63	63	(3) Securing and analysis of departmental plans and budget requests affecting children’s 19
64	64	programs and services; 20
65	65	(4) Review of federal funds utilized and available to the state for children’s programs and 21
66	66	services; 22
67	67	(5) Collation of items in the governor’s budget related to programs and services for children 23
68	68	and issuance of impact statements; 24
69	69	(6) Formulation of recommendations to the governor and other appropriate department 25
70	70	heads on planning and expenditures for children’s programs and services; 26
71	71	(7) Liaison with community child advocacy groups, including parents, to receive advice on 27
72	72	resources, needs, and priorities in the different localities; 28
73	73	(8) Provide effective public information on children’s services in Rhode Island; 29
74	74	(9) Advise the legislature on the needs of children and their families; 30
75	75	(10) Establish a central registry for the purpose of reporting, collating, receiving, and 31
76	76	administering reports involving children; 32
77	77	(11) Liaison with other state departments, agencies, local governments, and private 33
78	78	providers of services to coordinate services and maximize resources in developing programs; 34
79	79
80	80
81	81	LC001982 - Page 3 of 4
82	82	(12) Formulation of rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this 1
83	83	chapter; 2
84	84	(13) Preparation of an annual report and state plan to be sent to the governor and the general 3
85	85	assembly; 4
86	86	(14) Provision or arrangement for the provision of suitable treatment, rehabilitation, and 5
87	87	care for each child under the director’s supervision by pursuing the least restrictive placement and, 6
88	88	wherever feasible, by effectuating community placements in Rhode Island; 7
89	89	(15) The director shall provide for a case management information system that includes 8
90	90	data regarding, but not limited to, client entry, screening, client’s needs assessment, development 9
91	91	of a client service plan, services provision, evaluation, review and monitoring of client progress, 10
92	92	and client exit from the system. In addition, the director shall establish a centralized case 11
93	93	management unit to receive all service plans and using any additional expertise as may be required, 12
94	94	will review, monitor, evaluate, endorse, and/or modify as may be appropriate, each client service 13
95	95	plan; 14
96	96	(16) Administer in a coordinated and integrated manner all institutions and facilities that 15
97	97	are or may come under the jurisdiction of the department; and 16
98	98	(17) Develop a comprehensive program for the prevention of problems of children and 17
99	99	provide a flexible, innovative, and effective program for the placement, care, and treatment of 18
100	100	children committed by any court to the department, transferred to the department by other 19
101	101	departments, or voluntarily admitted to the department. 20
102	102	(18) The director shall carry out all department recruitment efforts and job training to attract 21
103	103	qualified candidates eligible for the following positions: 22
104	104	(i) Social case worker I; 23
105	105	(ii) Child protective investigator; 24
106	106	(iii) The director shall promulgate rules concerning the eligibility of persons for the job 25
107	107	training program; the granting of a three thousand dollar ($3,000) stipend from available funds, for 26
108	108	eligible applicants who have successfully completed the job training program and the department’s 27
109	109	probationary period. 28
110	110	SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. 29
111	111	========
112	112	LC001982
113	113	========
114	114
115	115
116	116	LC001982 - Page 4 of 4
117	117	EXPLANATION
118	118	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
119	119	OF
120	120	A N A C T
121	121	RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN
122	122	SERVICES
123	123	***
124	124	This act would provide a three thousand dollar ($3,000) stipend to a qualified applicant 1
125	125	who successfully completes the job training program of the department of human services or 2
126	126	department of children, youth and families. 3
127	127	This act would take effect upon passage. 4
128	128	========
129	129	LC001982
130	130	========