The committee was placed in a brief recess.

The committee came back to order.

The primary bill sponsors, Representatives Gilchrist and Froelich, introduced House Bill 25-1097 to the House Health and Human Services Committee. The bill requires county departments of human services to develop placement transition plans for a child any time a decision has been made by the county or the courts to move the child to a new placement. This includes placements between foster care homes, kinship foster care homes, and non-certified kinship care homes, as well as placements back to the child’s home. Each plan must include certain information on the logistics, communication frameworks, and timelines for child placements. The Department of Human Services must create a template for the placement plans by July 1, 2026, and a training on the placement transition plan process, which county caseworkers must complete within their first year of employment and every three years after. Foster care parents or non-certified kinship care providers may also access and complete the training.

The sponsors provided a handout to the committee (Attachment D).

The bill sponsors responded to questions from the committee.

Tori Shuler, representing Fostering Great Ideas, testified in support of the bill.

Stephanie Villafuerte, representing Colorado Child Protection Ombudsman's Office, testified in support of the bill.

Ashley Chase, representing Office of the Child's Representative, testified in support of the bill.

Korey Elger - Technical Testimony, representing Colorado Department of Human Services, was available to answer committee questions.

The panel responded to questions from the committee.

Kevin Neimond, representing Colorado Counties, Inc. (CCI), testified to amend the bill.

Melanie Jordan, representing Office of Respondent Parents' Counsel, testified to amend the bill.

Ms. Mimi Scheuermann, representing City and County of Denver, testified to amend the bill.

Mollie Warren, representing Boulder County, testified to amend the bill.

Mike Valentine, representing Arapahoe County, testified to amend the bill.

Elaine Castillo, representing themself, testified to amend the bill.

The panel responded to questions from the committee.

Mitchell DeVito, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Jody Britton, representing Foster Source, testified in support of the bill.

Nyomi Davis, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Olivia Stephan, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Jack Parks-Montgomery, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Ms. Nicole Diaz, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

The panel responded to questions from the committee.

Nikole Montgomery, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Linda Arzaga, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Ms. Kate Radley Ellis, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Additional written testimony was submitted to the committee (Attachment E).

The panel responded to questions from the committee.

The bill sponsors responded to questions about L.003.

Alana Rosen, representing the Office of Legislative Legal Services, responded to questions from the committee.

The bill sponsors provided closing comments on the bill.