2003 SESSION

03-0035

05/10

HOUSE BILL 56

COMMITTEE: Children and Family Law

ANALYSIS

This bill establishes a study committee to examine the state foster care system.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

03-0035

05/10

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Three

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Committee Established. There is established a committee to study issues related to the foster care system in the state of New Hampshire.

2 Membership and Compensation.

I. The members of the committee shall be as follows:

(a) Three members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.

(b) Three members of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.

II. Members of the committee shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the committee.

3 Duties. The committee shall investigate and report on:

I. Barriers to the state's ability to recruit and retain qualified foster family homes for children including, but not limited to, the need, if any, to increase the state's programmatic and monetary support for foster parents.

II. The availability and efficacy of programs designed to reduce the number of foster home placements for children through appropriate assessment and matching of children with foster family homes.

III. Barriers to the delivery of adequate and ordinary medical and mental health care and services for children in foster care including but not limited to:

(a) The impact of medicaid reimbursement rates on the availability of medical providers for children in foster family care.

(b) Ways to facilitate the provision of available medical information to foster family providers at the time of placement and thereafter.

(c) The need, if any, for increased recruitment efforts and additional nursing positions within the department of health and human services, division of children, youth, and families foster care health program.

IV. Such other related issues as the committee deems appropriate.

4 Sources of Information. The committee may solicit information and testimony from the department of health and human services, service providers, and any other source that the committee deems relevant to its study of the foster care system.

5 Chairperson; Quorum. The members of the study committee shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the committee shall be called by the first-named house member. The first meeting of the committee shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Four members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.

6 Report. The committee shall report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate president, the house clerk, the senate clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before November 1, 2003.

7 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.