Substitute Senate Bill No. 171
Substitute Senate Bill No. 171
PUBLIC ACT NO. 97-237
AN ACT CONCERNING THE CHILDREN'S TRUST FUND AND AN
OUT-OF-HOME PLACEMENTS ADVISORY COUNCIL.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 17a-50 of the general
statutes is repealed and the following is
substituted in lieu thereof:
(a) There is established a Children's Trust
Fund the resources of which shall be used by the
[Department of Children and Families, with the
advice of the] council established pursuant to
subsection (b) of this section, to fund programs
aimed at preventing child abuse AND NEGLECT AND
FAMILY RESOURCE PROGRAMS. Said fund is intended to
be in addition to those resources that would
otherwise be appropriated by the state for
programs aimed at preventing child abuse AND
NEGLECT AND FAMILY RESOURCE PROGRAMS. The
[Commissioner of Children and Families] CHILDREN'S
TRUST FUND COUNCIL may apply for and accept any
federal funds which are available for a Children's
Trust Fund and shall administer such funds in the
manner required by federal law. The fund shall
receive money from grants and gifts made pursuant
to section 17a-18. The [Commissioner of Children
and Families] CHILDREN'S TRUST FUND COUNCIL shall
adopt regulations, in accordance with the
provisions of chapter 54, to administer the fund
and to set eligibility requirements for programs
seeking funding. Youth service bureaus may receive
funds from the Children's Trust Fund.
(b) There shall be established, within
existing resources, a Children's Trust Fund
Council which shall be [an advisory council]
within the Department of Children and Families FOR
ADMINISTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY. The council shall be
composed of [nine] SIXTEEN members as follows:
[The Commissioner of Children and Families or his
designee, five representatives of the business
community with experience in fund-raising, one
each appointed by the president pro tempore of the
Senate, the speaker of the House of
Representatives and the minority leader of the
House of Representatives and two members appointed
by the minority leader of the Senate, and three
representatives who shall be knowledgeable in
child abuse prevention and children's services,
one each appointed by the president pro tempore of
the Senate, the speaker of the House of
Representatives and the minority leader of the
House of Representatives. At least two of the
members shall be representatives of civic or
voluntary organizations.] (1) THE COMMISSIONERS OF
THE DEPARTMENTS OF SOCIAL SERVICES, EDUCATION,
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AND PUBLIC HEALTH, OR THEIR
DESIGNEES; (2) A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BUSINESS
COMMUNITY WITH EXPERIENCE IN FUND-RAISING,
APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE
SENATE; (3) A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BUSINESS
COMMUNITY WITH EXPERIENCE IN FUND-RAISING,
APPOINTED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES; (4) A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
BUSINESS COMMUNITY WITH EXPERIENCE IN
FUND-RAISING, APPOINTED BY THE MINORITY LEADER OF
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; (5) A REPRESENTATIVE
OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY WITH EXPERIENCE IN
FUND-RAISING, APPOINTED BY THE MINORITY LEADER OF
THE SENATE; (6) A PARENT, APPOINTED BY THE
MAJORITY LEADER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES;
(7) A PARENT, APPOINTED BY THE MAJORITY LEADER OF
THE SENATE; (8) A PARENT, APPOINTED BY THE
PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE; (9) A PERSON
WITH EXPERTISE IN CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION,
APPOINTED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES; (10) A PERSON WITH EXPERTISE IN
CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION, APPOINTED BY THE MINORITY
LEADER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; (11) A
STAFF MEMBER OF A CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAM,
APPOINTED BY THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE;
(12) A STAFF MEMBER OF A CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION
PROGRAM, APPOINTED BY THE MAJORITY LEADER OF THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; AND (13) A PEDIATRICIAN,
APPOINTED BY THE MAJORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE.
The council shall solicit and accept funds, on
behalf of the Children's Trust Fund, to be used
for the prevention of child abuse AND NEGLECT AND
FAMILY RESOURCE PROGRAMS and shall make
[recommendations to the Commissioner of Children
and Families concerning] grants to programs
pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.
(c) On or before July 1, [1990] 1997, and
annually thereafter, the [Commissioner of Children
and Families] CHILDREN'S TRUST FUND COUNCIL shall
report to the joint standing [committee]
COMMITTEES of the General Assembly having
cognizance of matters relating to human services,
PUBLIC HEALTH AND EDUCATION concerning the source
and amount of funds received by the Children's
Trust Fund and the manner in which such funds were
administered and disbursed.
Sec. 2. (NEW) (a) There is established an
Out-of-Home Placements Advisory Council. The
council shall advise and make recommendations to
the Governor, the General Assembly and the
Commissioner of Children and Families concerning:
(1) The Department of Children and Families'
placement processes and policies, including, but
not limited to, policies regarding foster care and
therapeutic foster care, residential treatment,
group home and transitional living services,
emergency shelter and inpatient mental health
placements; (2) the placement resources needed for
the populations and age groups the department
serves, including a discussion of resources needed
for populations that (A) have been abused,
neglected or are at-risk, (B) have mental health
or substance abuse treatment needs, (C) are
delinquent, (D) are members of a family with
service needs, (E) are committed to the
department, or (F) are receiving voluntary
services or services through the noncommitted
treatment program; (3) the geographic availability
of placement services; (4) the availability of
culturally competent services and appropriate
services for children with complex medical needs
or physical or developmental disabilities; (5)
eligibility and utilization standards for
out-of-home care options and eligibility and
utilization standards for the populations and age
groups the department serves; (6) the impact of
the policies and processes of the department on
the availability of timely and appropriate access
to services; (7) an examination of quality
assurance measures; (8) the amount of family or
guardian input with respect to placement options
and service providers; (9) the timeliness and
effectiveness of client and family or guardian
grievance procedures; (10) the degree of
coordination with other state and local agencies
and private organizations having responsibility
for populations or age groups the department
serves; and (11) other issues relating to
out-of-home placements, as the council may deem
appropriate.
(b) The advisory council shall consist of (1)
the chairpersons and ranking members of the joint
standing committees of the General Assembly having
cognizance of matters relating to human services
and judiciary and the select committee on
children, or their designees; (2) the Child
Advocate, or his designee; (3) a private sector
children's advocate, appointed by the Governor;
(4) a nonprofit provider of group home or
transitional living services for adolescents,
appointed by the speaker of the House of
Representatives; (5) a nonprofit children's
residential treatment provider, appointed by the
president pro tempore of the Senate; (6) a
licensed child placing agency providing
therapeutic or professional foster care services,
appointed by the majority leader of the Senate;
(7) a nonprofit emergency shelter provider,
appointed by the minority leader of the Senate;
(8) a provider of inpatient psychiatric services,
appointed by the majority leader of the House of
Representatives; (9) a foster parent, appointed by
the minority leader of the House of
Representatives; (10) one representative of a
local youth services agency or police youth
division, appointed by the speaker of the House of
Representatives; (11) one provider of behavioral
health services for children and youth, appointed
by the president pro tempore of the Senate; (12)
two parents, parent advocates, or recipients or
former recipients of department residential
services, one appointed by the majority leader of
the Senate and one appointed by the majority
leader of the House of Representatives; (13) the
Director of the Office of Protection and Advocacy,
or his designee; (14) four employees of the
Department of Children and Families, one from the
Residential Placement Team, one from the Office of
Child Welfare Services, one from the Office of
Juvenile Justice Services, and one from the Office
of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Health
Services, each of whom shall be appointed by the
commissioner; (15) one employee of the judicial
branch having experience in matters relating to
juveniles, appointed by the chief court
administrator; (16) the Commissioner of Mental
Health and Addiction Services, or his designee;
(17) the Commissioner of Education, or his
designee; and (18) the Commissioner of Mental
Retardation, or his designee.
(c) The council shall elect a chairperson from
among its members, except that the speaker of the
House of Representatives and the president pro
tempore of the Senate shall jointly select the
chairperson for the first meeting of the council.
Such chairpersons shall schedule the first meeting
of the council, which shall be no later than sixty
days after the effective date of this act.
(d) The membership of the council shall serve
without compensation. The Department of Children
and Families shall provide, within available
resources, clerical support to the council.
(e) On or before January 1, 1998, and annually
thereafter, the council shall report its
activities for the preceding year to the joint
standing committees of the General Assembly having
cognizance of matters relating to human services
and judiciary and the select committee on
children.
Sec. 3. This act shall take effect from its
passage, except that section 1 shall take effect
July 1, 1997.
Approved June 24, 1997