2016 Crossover Day Report
Print This PostFeb. 29 was the 30th legislative day of the 2016 session, known as Crossover Day. That cutoff is significant, because bills that passed the chamber in which they originated by the 30th day can move forward through the legislative process, while bills that did not pass at least one chamber are not eligible to move forward in their original form this session. Because this is the second year of a two-year session, bills that did not cross—and those that are ultimately not signed by Gov. Nathan Deal—will not carry over for consideration in the 2017 session. It is possible for language from bills that did not cross to be added to bills that did, as long as the added language is germane to the original bill to which it is affixed. In addition, there are some resolutions that are not required to pass both chambers, such as those creating House or Senate study committees. Those pieces of legislation are still eligible for further action this session, even if they were not voted through one chamber by the 30th day.
Budget News
The Senate Appropriations Committee was scheduled to meet on March 7 to vote on the FY17 budget.
Schedule
Legislators met on Monday and Wednesday last week, completing 31 of 40 legislative days. This week they will meet on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, which will take them through the 35th legislative day. An adjournment resolution was previously passed that sets the calendar through the end of the 2016 session. Sine Die—the final day—is scheduled for Thursday, March 24.
Legislation
Bills That Crossed
HB 649 (Rep. Sharon Cooper, 43rd), the Georgia Lactation Consultant Practice Act, creates a process for licensure of lactation consultants and an advisory committee under the authority of the Georgia Composite Medical Board.
Status: The House passed the bill on Feb. 8. It is assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, which was scheduled to discuss the bill on March 2.
HB 722 (Rep. Allen Peake, 141st) legalizes additional forms of medical marijuana in addition to cannabis oil and broadens the list of qualifying conditions that can be treated by cannabis. The bill also allows for up to six instate manufacturers of medical cannabis.
Status: After several hearings and input from a variety of sources, including law enforcement, the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee passed a substitute version of the bill. Language that allowed approved in-state medical cannabis manufacturers was removed from the bill. Also, the list of approved medical conditions the substance can be used to treat was shortened, although some new conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder were added. The House passed the bill on Feb. 29, and it is now assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
HB 727 (Rep. Paul Battles, 15th) amends legislation passed last year allowing the sale and use of fireworks in Georgia by limiting the hours of use from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Exceptions provided for in the bill include New Year’s Eve and the Fourth of July, when fireworks can be used until 1 a.m. and midnight, respectively. Under the current law that went into effect in 2015, fireworks can be used until 2 a.m. throughout the year. HB 774 (Rep. Alex Atwood, 179th) is a similar bill providing for local government regulation of the use of fireworks. SB 369 (Sen. Jeff Mullis, 53rd) is a similar bill in the Senate. Status of HB 727: The House Regulated Industries Committee passed a substitute version of the bill on Feb. 24, and the House passed it on Feb. 29. It is now assigned to the Senate Public Safety Committee.
Status of HB 774: The bill was filed in 2015 and assigned to the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee. No action was taken on the bill in 2016, so it did not cross.
Status of SB 369: The Senate passed the bill on Feb. 26, and it is assigned to the House Regulated Industries Committee.
HB 777 (Rep. Mike Dudgeon, 25th) allows school bus drivers to use cell phones while the bus is in motion for live communication with school or public safety officials.
Status: The House passed a substitute version of the bill on Feb. 18, which clarifies that bus drivers cannot use cell phones except for live communication with school or public safety officials, and only if the driver remains seated with a safety belt. The bill is now assigned to the Senate Public Safety Committee.
SB 130 (Sen. Bruce Thompson, 14th), the Smokefree Cars for Children Act, makes it a misdemeanor for a person to smoke in a car—or permit another occupant of the car to smoke—while a child under 15 is in the vehicle. The person cannot be charged with this violation unless stopped for another traffic offense, and fines for the offense will not exceed $100.
Status: During the 2015 session, the Senate passed the bill. The House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee also passed a substitute version of the bill in 2015, clarifying that this offense will not be considered a moving traffic violation nor constitute child abuse, but it was recommitted. On Feb. 26, 2016, the bill was assigned to the Setzler Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Non- Civil Committee.
HB 614 (Rep. Valencia Stovall, 74th), the Landon Dunson Act, creates a pilot program for placing monitoring cameras in school classrooms that provide special education services.
Status: The House Education Committee passed the bill by substitute on Feb. 4, and it was sent to the House Rules Committee. The bill was sent back to the House Education Committee due to an objection to setting up another pilot program. The bill was amended to remove the word “pilot” and to make the cameras an option authorized by the Department of Education. The House passed the bill on Feb. 24. It is assigned to the Senate Education and Youth Committee, which held a hearing on March 2 but did not vote on the bill.
HB 739 (Rep. Kevin Tanner, 9th) requires the state Board of Education (BOE) and local boards of education to establish procedures that provide an opportunity for public comment and parental input prior to the adoption of any proposed instructional materials and content.
Status: The House passed a committee substitute version of the bill on Feb. 9, and it is now assigned to the Senate Education and Youth Committee. The bill sets clear guidelines for approval of instructional materials by the state BOE and local boards of education. The substitute version provides that parents will have the opportunity for comment and input at both the state and local levels, and that all materials will be available for review upon request by a parent. Each local board will designate one employee to serve as the contact person for inquiries, with the changes going into effect July 1 of the 2017-2018 school year. The Senate Education and Youth Committee heard the bill on March 2 but took no action.
SB 310 (Sen. William Ligon, 3rd), the Transparency in Education Act, prohibits the implementation of any competitive grant over $20 million pertaining to or affecting Pre-K–12 education until ratified by the Georgia legislature.
Status: The Senate Education and Youth Committee passed a substitute version of the bill, removing the requirement for approval of grants by the legislature and instead requiring that written analyses of the grants be provided to the Senate Education and Youth Committee and House Education Committee 30 days prior to submitting the grant. The Senate passed the bill on Feb. 29, and it is now assigned to the House Education Committee.
SB 312 (Sen. Charles Bethel, 54th) sets a minimum amount of $2,000 per semester for the HOPE Scholarship.
Status: The Senate passed the bill on Feb. 24, and it is now assigned to the House Higher Education Committee.
SB 328 (Sen. Emanuel Jones, 10th) addresses alternative education programs and disruptive students. The bill provides that, except in the case of serious offenses, the duration of assignment to an alternative education program cannot exceed the remainder of the semester in which the student is suspended or expelled and the following semester. Serious offenses identified by the bill include physical assault, bullying, and possession of drugs or alcohol. Any student may opt to remain in an alternative education program.
Status: The Senate Education and Youth Committee passed a substitute version of the bill on Feb. 23, and the Senate passed it on Feb. 29. It is now assigned to the House Education Committee.
HB 229 (Rep. Brian Strickland, 111th) allows grandparents, great-grandparents, or siblings of a minor child to file an action for visitation rights.
Status: The bill was introduced during the 2015 session. The House Juvenile Justice Committee passed it on Feb. 24, 2016, and the House passed the bill on Feb. 29. It is now assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
HB 768 (Rep. Lee Hawkins, 27th) establishes a qualified Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) program in Georgia, allowing eligible individuals to contribute to tax-exempt accounts to pay for qualified expenses related to disabilities. HB 710 (Rep. Scot Turner, 21st) is a similar bill.
Status of HB 768: The House passed the bill on Feb. 23, and it is now assigned to the Senate Finance Committee.
Status of HB 710: The House Ways and Means Committee did not pass the bill, so it did not cross.
HB 847 (Rep. David Clark, 98th) redesignates current Georgia law regarding public assistance fraud from Title 49 of the Georgia Code (Social Services) to Title 16 (Crimes and Offenses). The bill also updates terminology on food stamps to include new forms of providing public assistance, including electronic benefits cards.
Status: The House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee passed the bill on Feb. 11, and the House passed it on Feb. 19. It is now assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
HB 887 (Rep. Chuck Efstration, 104th) prioritizes placing children with relatives following a termination of parental rights and requires efforts to place siblings together.
Status: The House Juvenile Justice Committee passed a substitute version of the bill, which clarified that priority for placement with relatives is dependent on meeting the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) requirement for relative placement and must be in the best interest of the child. The House passed the bill on Feb. 26, and it is assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
HB 934 (Rep. Tom Kirby, 114th) authorizes the Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide a separate link or website portal to provide kinship caregivers with information and access necessary to apply for public assistance benefits on behalf of children in their care.
Status: The House Human Relations and Aging Committee passed the bill on Feb. 22, and the House passed it on Feb. 29. It is now assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
HB 962 (Rep. Stacey Abrams, 89th) creates the position of kinship care enforcement administrator within the DHS. This administrator will ensure compliance with all federal and state laws, rules, and regulations related to pilot programs, subsidies, or benefits available to kinship caregivers or children within their care.
Status: The House passed the bill on Feb. 26, and it is now assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
SB 389 (Sen. Hunter Hill, 6th) creates a cash diversion program that provides eligible Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients lump sum cash grants for short-term needs, as well as job or career center referrals in lieu of signing up for a long-term monthly cash assistance program. HB 1006 (Rep. David Clark, 98th) is a related bill that directs the DHS to enter into a competitively bid contract to provide verification of initial and ongoing eligibility data for food stamp benefits. Under the bill, cash assistance to a nonminor recipient is limited to a lifetime maximum of 12 months, the lottery corporation is responsible for providing information to the DHS about individuals who claim winnings over $1,000, and penalties are provided for individuals who violate certain requirements.
Status of SB 389: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee passed a substitute version of the bill, which included language from HB 1006, on Feb. 24. The Senate passed the bill on Feb. 29. It is now assigned to the House Health and Human Services Committee.
Status of HB 1006: The House Health and Human Services Committee did not pass the bill, so it did not cross.
HB 725 (Rep. Wes Cantrell, 22nd) extends the presumption of confidentiality of child abuse records to child advocacy centers. The bill provides for greater confidentiality by requiring a court order before the release of such records, and anyone accessing them must acknowledge that he or she is bound by a protective order if the court authorizes the release.
Status: The House Juvenile Justice Committee passed the bill on Feb. 24, and the House passed it on Feb. 29. It is now assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
HB 763 (Rep. Penny Houston, 170th) removes the sunset provision for the sales tax exemption currently provided for food sales to food banks.
Status: The House Ways and Means Committee passed a substitute version of the bill on Feb. 17. While the original bill sought to remove the sunset provision entirely, the substitute version extends the sunset date until June 30, 2021. The House passed the bill on Feb. 22, and it is now assigned to the Senate Finance Committee.
HB 765 (Rep. Jay Powell, 171st) amends who may serve on local DFCS boards. Current law states that individuals must be active in their professions, while this bill allows retired individuals to serve.
Status: The House passed the bill on Feb. 9, and it is now assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
HB 770 (Rep. Chuck Efstration, 104th) expands the current definition of sexual servitude to include sexually explicit conduct induced or obtained from individuals with developmental disabilities. Status: The House passed the bill on Feb. 25, and it is now assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
HB 825 (Rep. Earnest Smith, 125th) requires that the Department of Defense Family Advocacy Program be notified when there is a report of child abuse by a military parent or guardian.
Status: The House Juvenile Justice Committee passed the bill on Feb. 23, and the House passed it on Feb. 29. It is now assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
HB 859 (Rep. Rick Jasperse, 11th), referred to as the Campus Carry Bill, allows students 21 years and older to carry a gun on post-secondary campuses. Students must be licensed gun owners, keep the weapon concealed, and are not allowed in student housing—including fraternity and sorority houses—or at sporting events while armed.
Status: The House passed the bill on Feb. 22. It is now assigned to the Senate Judiciary Non-Civil Committee, which held a hearing on March 2 but took no vote on the bill. The committee was scheduled to discuss the bill again on March 7, and a vote was expected to be taken.
HB 874 (Rep. Bert Reeves, 34th) amends the juvenile code to prohibit recruitment of street gang members and increases mandatory minimum sentences for criminal street gang activity.
Status: The House passed the bill on Feb. 25, and it is now assigned to the Senate Judiciary Non-Civil Committee.
HB 905 (Rep. Mandi Ballinger, 23rd) updates guidelines and requirements for local child abuse protocol committees and requires the establishment and maintenance of a central child abuse registry.
Status: The House passed the bill on Feb. 25, and it is now assigned to the Senate Judiciary Non-Civil Committee.
SB 331 (Sen. Bruce Thompson, 14th) amends current law so that causing a child to be conceived as a result of rape is grounds for terminating parental rights in dependency and adoption proceedings and is relevant in legitimation actions. HB 713 (Rep. Brad Raffensberger, 50th) is a similar bill.
Status of SB 331: The Senate passed the bill on Feb. 25, and it is now assigned to the House Judiciary Committee.
Status of HB 713: The House Juvenile Justice Committee passed the bill on Feb. 24. The House Rules Committee did not schedule the bill for a vote on the House floor, so it did not cross.
SB 367 (Sen. John Kennedy, 18th) implements recommendations from the Governor’s Council on Criminal Justice Reform, including several related to juvenile justice. The bill places restrictions on secure detention for youth under age 14, requires schools to use progressive discipline before filing a complaint, puts measures in place to improve fairness in school tribunals, and requires local boards of education and school resource officers to enter into memorandums of understanding to clarify roles and identify differences between delinquent and disciplinary conduct.
Status: The Senate passed the bill on Feb. 25, and it is now assigned to the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee.
SB 409 (Sen. JaNice VanNess, 43rd) requires all public schools to post a sign displaying a toll-free number to report child abuse or neglect.
Status: The Senate Education and Youth Committee passed the bill on Feb. 25, and the Senate passed it on Feb. 29. The bill is now assigned to the House Education Committee.
Bills That Did Not Cross
HB 701 (Rep. David Casas, 107th) amends existing law that mandates classroom instruction related to drug and alcohol use, imposing a new minimum of 12 hours of drug and alcohol use prevention curricula in grades 3–12. Current law requires instruction in grades K–12, but doesn’t provide a minimum number of hours of instruction.
Status: The House Education Committee asked that the bill be withdrawn from further consideration, so it did not cross. The committee’s request was the result of a recommendation by the Governor’s Education Reform Commission that legislators not pass any new bills that add to the current workload of teachers or that create unfunded mandates for schools.
HB 774 (Rep. Alex Atwood, 179th) provides for local government regulation of the use of fireworks. HB 727 (Rep. Paul Battles, 15th) and SB 369 (Sen. Jeff Mullis, 53rd) are similar bills.
Status of HB 774: The bill was filed in 2015 and assigned to the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee. No action was taken on the bill in 2016, so it did not cross.
Status of HB 727: The House Regulated Industries Committee passed a substitute version of the bill on Feb. 24, and the House passed it on Feb. 29. It is now assigned to the Senate Public Safety Committee.
Status of SB 369: The Senate passed the bill on Feb. 26, and it is assigned to the House Regulated Industries Committee.
HB 819 (Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick, 93rd) requires the DOE, in consultation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, to develop a list of training materials in mental health, behavioral disabilities, and learning disabilities.
Status: The bill is assigned to the House Education Committee. The Subcommittee on Academic Achievement and Curriculum heard the bill on Feb. 10, but no vote was taken. The bill did not cross.
HB 823 (Rep. Stacey Abrams, 89th) authorizes state appropriations for the purpose of Medicaid expansion.
Status: The bill is assigned to the House Appropriations Committee. The committee took no action, so the bill did not cross.
HB 873 (Rep. David Clark, 98th), the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act, requires the DOE to develop guidelines and other relevant materials to inform students participating in athletic activities and their parents of the risks and warning signs of cardiac arrest.
Status: The bill is assigned to the House Education Committee. The Subcommittee on Academic Support heard the bill on Feb. 16, but no vote was taken. The bill did not cross.
HB 907 (Rep. Paulette Rakestraw, 19th) amends current law to include electronic cigarettes, vapor pens, and e-liquids used in vapor pens to the list of tobacco-related items that cannot be sold or distributed to minors.
Status: The bill is assigned to the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee. The committee took no action, so the bill did not cross.
HR 961 (Rep. Keisha Waites, 60th) proposes a constitutional amendment to dedicate fees and assessments to fund driver education and training courses in public high schools.
Status: The resolution was pre-filed before the 2016 session and assigned to the House Education Committee. The committee took no action, so the bill did not cross.
SB 268 (Sen. Donzella James, 35th) requires prosecuting attorneys to forward information to the local DFCS office when a person is convicted of endangering a child by driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs a second time.
Status: The bill is assigned to the Senate Public Safety Committee. The committee took no action, so the bill did not cross.
HB 135 (Rep. Henry “Wayne” Howard, 124th) prohibits the suspension of Pre-K and kindergarten students, except when a student has caused or threatened serious bodily harm or is in possession of, or furnished others with, a weapon.
Status: A subcommittee of House Education heard and tabled the bill in 2015. On Feb. 22, 2016, the Academic Support Subcommittee of the House Education Committee passed the bill and sent it before the full committee, which took no further action so the bill did not cross.
HB 820 (Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick, 93rd) requires school personnel to develop and implement a documented behavioral correction plan for students who have been placed in out-of-school suspension three times during a school year.
Status: The bill is assigned to the House Education Committee. The committee took no action, so the bill did not cross.
HR 961 (Rep. Keisha Waites, 60th) proposes a constitutional amendment ballot measure to authorize the General Assembly to dedicate existing fees and assessments for driver education and training courses for public school students in grades 9–12.
Status: The resolution is assigned to the House Education Committee. The committee took no action, so it did not cross.
SB 281 (Sen. William Ligon, 3rd) requires schools to provide information to students and parents prior to using interactive digital learning platforms, including video games that collect and analyze student data. The bill prohibits the use of digital learning platforms unless they include a portal or other mechanism that allows parental access to the platform and all content available to students. Parents may also opt out of the instruction.
Status: The Senate Education and Youth Committee voted on Feb. 25 to hold the bill in committee, so it did not cross.
SB 287 (Sen. Donzella James, 35th) requires local boards of education to provide specialized homeroom classes for at-risk students in which tutoring, mentoring, and other support services will be available. At-risk students are defined in the bill as any student “characterized by poverty, high absenteeism, academic failure, pregnancy, disruptive behavior, or other dysfunctions.”
Status: The bill is assigned to the Senate Education and Youth Committee. The committee took no action, so the bill did not cross.
HB 746 (Rep. Tommy Benton, 31st), the Family Care Act, allows workers in businesses with 10 or more employees to use up to five days of earned and accrued sick leave to care for immediate family members. The bill is an amended version of HB 92 (Rep. Tommy Benton, 31st) that was introduced last session and incorporates changes recommended by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. SB 242 (Sen. Michael Williams, 27th) is a similar bill in the Senate.
Status of HB 746: The bill is assigned to the House Industry and Labor Committee. The committee took no action, so the bill did not cross.
Status of SB 242: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee passed the bill on Feb. 8. It was then assigned to the Senate Rules Committee but did not make it to the Senate floor for a vote in time to cross.
HB 824 (Rep. Kimberly Alexander, 66th) requires all employers to implement policies that allow employees to earn and accrue paid sick leave.
Status: The bill is assigned to the House Industry and Labor Committee. The committee took no action, so the bill did not cross.
HB 881 (Rep. Bert Reeves, 34th) revises and updates current law regarding domestic and foreign adoptions.
Status: The bill is assigned to the House Judiciary Committee and was scheduled for discussion in the Caldwell Subcommittee on Feb. 16. No further action was taken, so the bill did not cross.
HB 950 (Rep. Karen Bennett, 94th) adds notice requirements for when DFCS contacts relatives identified in a search during dependency proceedings. Under the bill, DFCS must provide contact information for a county or regional DFCS caseworker to the identified relatives, as well as information about financial assistance available through any program for kinship care arrangements. Status: The bill is assigned to the House Judiciary Committee. The committee took no action, so the bill did not cross.
HB 961 (Rep. Stacey Abrams, 89th) authorizes units of state government to provide subsidies available to kinship caregivers based on the eligibility of the children rather than the income or age of the kinship caregiver.
Status: The bill is assigned to the House Juvenile Justice Committee. The committee took no action, so the bill did not cross.
HB 963 (Rep. Stacey Abrams, 89th) provides for non-legal custodians to give legal consent for a child in his or her physical custody to receive medical care or education services.
Status: The House Juvenile Justice Committee discussed the bill on Feb. 25. The committee voted to hold the bill, so it did not cross.
HB 974 (Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, 82nd) allows for a DFCS or DHS employee to sign an application for an instructional permit or driver’s license for an applicant committed to the care and custody of DHS. The employee will not be subject to any civil liability, penalty, licensing sanction, or other detrimental action for signing an application. Status: The bill is assigned to the House Juvenile Justice Committee, and the Ballinger Subcommittee passed it on Feb. 23. No further action was taken, so the bill did not cross.
HB 1006 (Rep. David Clark, 98th) directs DHS to enter into a competitively bid contract to provide verification of initial and ongoing eligibility data for food stamp benefits. Under the bill, cash assistance to a non-minor recipient is limited to a lifetime maximum of 12 months, the lottery corporation is responsible for providing information to DHS about individuals who claim winnings over $1,000, and penalties are provided for individuals who violate certain requirements. SB 389 (Sen. Hunter Hill, 6th) is a related bill which creates a cash diversion program that provides eligible Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients lump sum cash grants for short-term needs, as well as job or career center referrals in lieu of signing up for a long-term monthly cash assistance program.
Status of HB 1006: The House Health and Human Services Committee did not pass the bill, so it did not cross.
Status of SB 389: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee passed a substitute version of the bill, which included language from HB 1006, on Feb. 24. The Senate passed the bill on Feb. 29, and it is now assigned to the House Health and Human Services Committee.
SB 293 (Sen. Vincent Fort, 39th) raises the state minimum wage to $15 an hour.
Status: The bill is assigned to the House Insurance and Labor Committee. The committee took no action, so the bill did not cross.
SB 297 (Sen. Lester Jackson, 2nd) provides state employees who become adoptive parents up to six weeks of accrued annual or sick leave.
Status: The bill is assigned to the Senate State and Local Governmental Operations Committee. The committee took no action, so the bill did not cross.
HB 684 (Rep. Chuck Martin, 49th) allows dental hygienists to work under the supervision of dentists in safety-net health care settings, such as public health departments and Federally Qualified Health Centers, in order to improve access to dental screenings and cleanings in areas where there aren’t enough dentists or dentists who are Medicaid providers. SB 248 (Sen. Valencia Seay, 34th) is a similar bill in the Senate.
Status of HB 684: The House Health and Human Services Committee passed the bill on Feb. 16. It was assigned to the House Rules Committee, which considered the bill but voted to not schedule it for a vote on the House floor in time for it to cross.
Status of SB 248: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee passed the bill on Feb. 8. It was assigned to the Senate Rules Committee, which took no action so the bill did not cross.
HB 705 (Rep. Katie Dempsey, 13th) requires mental health care providers, including physicians and psychologists who provide treatment to a patient, to provide periodic opportunities for patients to designate a family member or other individual with whom the provider may discuss the patient’s medical condition and treatment plan.
Status: The bill is assigned to the House Health and Human Services Committee. The committee took no action, so the bill did not cross.
HB 713 (Rep. Brad Raffensberger, 50th) amends current law so that causing a child to be conceived as a result of rape, incest, or sex trafficking is grounds for terminating parental rights. SB 331 is a similar bill.
Status of HB 713: The House Juvenile Justice Committee passed the bill. The House Rules Committee did not schedule the bill for a vote on the House floor, so it did not cross.
Status of SB 331: The Senate passed the bill on Feb. 25, and it is now assigned to the House Judiciary Committee.
HB 915 (Rep. Andrew Welch, 110th) requires criminal records checks for owners and employees of all child-caring institutions, child-placing agencies, children’s transition care centers, and maternity homes. The bill also directs DHS to develop a public scorecard to grade child welfare agencies.
Status: The House Health and Human Services Committee passed the bill on Feb. 25, and it was assigned to the House Rules Committee. The committee did not schedule the bill for a vote on the House floor, so it did not cross.