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C77F383C2E59F51087258966000F2EFB Hearing Summary




PUBLIC
BILL SUMMARY For HB23-1024

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC & BEHAVIORAL HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Date Mar 1, 2023      
Location HCR 0112



HB23-1024 - Amended, referred to House Appropriations

07:45:54 PM  
The committee recessed.
07:46:24 PM  
The committee came back to order.
07:50:26 PM  
Representative Epps
and Representative Gozales-Gutierrez, co-prime bill sponsors, presented
House Bill 23-1024.  The bill is concerning measures to increase family
resiliency through providing greater supports and protections for children
placed with kin, including relatives.  The bill enacts several measures
related to the placement of children and youth temporarily placed out-of-the-home
with relative or kin. These measures include:



- allowing relatives to appeal denied placements;

- requiring courts to inquire about and update relative or kin affidavits;


- requiring county department of human services to assist relatives in
obtaining resources to care for a child or youth and providing options
to participate in their care and planning;

- specifying what must be included in notices from county department of
human services to relatives or kin when a child or youth is removed from
their home;

- requiring courts to prioritize placements with relative or kin and presume
that placement with them is in the child or youth’s best interest, unless
the placement jeopardizes their health, safety or welfare;

- requiring courts provide reasoning when placement with relative or kin
is denied; and

- requiring caseworkers to inform courts of efforts to place the child
or youth with a relative.
07:53:26 PM  
Representative Gonzales-Gutierrez
discussed amendments L.001 and L.002 (Attachments B and C).
07:55:42 PM  
Melissa Thompson,
representing the Office of Respondent Parents' Counsel, testified in support
of the bill.



Dr. Kendall Marlowe,
representing The Kempe Foundation for Child Abuse and Neglect, testified
in support of the bill.



Jennifer Mullenbach,
representing the Jefferson County Commissioners and Colorado Counties Incorporated,
testified in support of the bill.



Dborah Israel,
representing C.A.R.E.S, Elevating Connections, and Project Foster Power,
testified in support of the bill.



Ashley Chase,
representing the Office of the Child's Representative, testified to amend
the bill.



The panelists
responded to questions from the committee.
08:12:39 PM  
Timothy Eirich, representing
himself, testified in opposition to the bill.
Mr. Eirich
provided a handout to the committee  (Attachment D).




Tracee Perkins, representing herself, testified to amend the bill.




Lindsay Gilchrist, representing CHAMPS Colorado, testified to amend the
bill.



Stephanie Villafuerte, representing the Office of the Colorado Child Protection
Ombudsman, testified to amend the bill.




Benjamin Teevan, representing Fostering Colorado and the Colorado Association
of Children’s Agencies, testified to amend the bill.




The panelists responded to questions from the committee.
08:37:59 PM  
Jody Britton, representing
Foster Source, testified in opposition to the bill. She provided a handout
to the committee (Attachment E).



Megan Harper,
representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.



Danielle Casataneda,
representing herself, testified in opposition to the bill.



Ms. Gilchrest
read a statement from Shantelle Mulliniks, representing herself, in opposition
to the bill.



Sara Stovall,
representing herself, testified in opposition to the bill.
08:56:33 PM  
Martha Wilson, representing
herself, testified in support of the bill.



Prescillia Wells,
representing herself, testified in support of the bill.



MJ Coleman Jackson,
representing herself, testified in support of the bill.



Jena Fleiner,
representing the Office of Respondent Parents' Counsel, testified in support
of the bill.



The panelists
responded to questions from the committee.
09:12:02 PM  
Erica Heddings, representing
herself, testified to amend the bill.



Dr.  Igor
Shumskiy, representing himself, testified to amend the bill.
09:19:29 PM  
Sister Michael-Delores
Allegri, representing herself, testified in opposition to the bill.



Brandi Nieto,
representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.



Kathryn Mathis,
representing herself, testified in opposition to the bill.



Heather Gonzales,
representing herself, testified in opposition to the bill.



Carrie Savage,
representing Catholic Charities Denver, testified in opposition to the
bill.



The panelists
responded to questions from the committee.
09:41:30 PM  
Sarah Burgess, representing the Catholic Charities Kinship Caregiver Program, testified to amend the bill.
09:44:27 PM  
David Willson, representing
himself, testified in support of the bill.



Monica Mooney-Denny,
representing the Office of Respondent Parent Counsel, testified in support
of the bill.



Iris Flores, representing
herself, testified in support of the bill.



Tyrone Nelson,
representing himself, testified in support of the bill.



Alicia Johansen,
representing herself, testified in support of the bill.



The panelists
responded to questions from the committee.
10:05:03 PM  
Mike Ozborn, representing
himself, testified in support of the bill.



Maleeka Jihad,
representing The MJCF Coalition, testified in support of the bill.



Annie Martinez,
representing herself, testified in support of the bill.



Jaime Menegus,
representing herself, testified in support of the bill.



Stephanie Ruybal,
representing herself, testified in support of the bill.



Henry Ruybal,
representing himself, testified in support of the bill.



Dr. Thomas Perille,
representing Democrats for Life of Colorado, testified in support of the
bill.
10:28:37 PM  
Ruchi Kapoor, representing
herself, testified in support of the bill.



Ashlee Arcilla,
representing the Office of Respondent Parents' Counsel, testified in support
of the bill.



Melanie Jordan,
representing the Office of Respondent Parents' Counsel, testified in support
of the bill.  She provided a handout to the committee (Attachment
F).



The panelists
responded to questions from the committee.  Written testimony was
provided to the committee (Attachment G).
10:48:47 PM  
Representative Epps and Representative Gonzales-Gutierrez explained amendment L.002.


10:51:06 PM
 Motion Adopt amendment L.002 (Attachment C).
Moved Gonzales-Gutierrez
Seconded Jodeh
Amabile
Bradfield
Bradley
English
Gonzales-Gutierrez
Hamrick
Holtorf
Jodeh
Story
Young
Michaelson Jenet
YES: 0   NO: 0   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  Pass Without Objection
10:51:22 PM  
Representative Epps
explained amendment L.001 (Attachment B).


10:51:38 PM
 Motion Adopt amendment L.001 (Attachment B).
Moved Gonzales-Gutierrez
Seconded Jodeh
Amabile
Bradfield
Bradley
English
Gonzales-Gutierrez
Hamrick
Holtorf
Jodeh
Story
Young
Michaelson Jenet
YES: 0   NO: 0   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  Pass Without Objection
10:51:39 PM  
Representative Gonzales-Gutierrez and Representative Epps provided concluding remarks on the bill. Committee members remarked on the bill.


11:01:32 PM
 Motion Refer House Bill 23-1024, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations.
Moved Gonzales-Gutierrez
Seconded Jodeh
Amabile Yes
Bradfield Yes
Bradley Yes
English Yes
Gonzales-Gutierrez Yes
Hamrick Yes
Holtorf Yes
Jodeh Yes
Story Yes
Young Yes
Michaelson Jenet Yes
Final YES: 11   NO: 0   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  PASS






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