HB 1374 — Kinship Care Funding Provisions

SecondNOTE: Regular Session Seventy-fifth General Assembly STATE OF COLORADO REREVISED This Version Includes All Amendments Adopted in the Second House LLS NO.

26-0856.01This Lindybill Schaiblehas x4215been HOUSEprepared BILLfor 26-1374the HOUSEsignatures SPONSORSHIPof Sirotathe andappropriate Taggart,legislative Brown,officers SENATE SPONSORSHIP Amabile and Bridges,the KirkmeyerGovernor. e n e 6 E a 0 A U , N g 1 S d r House Committees Senate Committees e A Appropriations Appropriations R r e A BILL FOR AN ACT n m 2 C ONCERNING KINSHIP CARE FUNDING PROVISIONS .

TTo ndetermine 2whether Nthe UGovernor 5has Esigned ithe rbill Billor Summarytaken Sother aaction Aon Rit, nplease (Note:consult the legislative status sheet, the legislative history, or the Session Laws.

ThisHOUSE summaryBILL applies26-1374 toBY thisREPRESENTATIVE(S) billSirota as introduced and doesTaggart, 2Brown; notreflectanyamendmentsthatmaybesubsequentlyadopted.Ifthisbill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that g applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at d http://leg.colorado.gov/.) e 2 E R 2 U r 1 JointBudgetCommittee.Thebilleliminatesfinancialassistance O 3 l H e p and supports to county departments of human or social services (county n A m departments) for non-certified kinship care homes.

The bill also ASENATOR(S) eliminatesreimbursementtocountydepartmentsfornon-certifiedkinshipAmabile carehomesandremovestheexemptionforthekinshipfostercareandtheand non-certifiedBridges, kinshipKirkmeyer. care rates from the state fiscal year close-out g d 6 process.

ECONCERNING eKINSHIP 0CARE TheFUNDING billPROVISIONS makes. reimbursement to county departments for kinship S R , U d 9l H 2 r Shading denotes HOUSE amendment.

Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.

e A Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.n Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.

e A foster care subject to available appropriations and specifies that counties are not required to provide financial assistance and supports for non-certified kinship care homes.

Existing law requires the state department of human services to annually report to the joint budget committee on the implementation of non-certified kinship care homes.

The bill changes the report's focus to certified kinship care homes.

The bill removes consideration of maintainingfinancialsupportfora non-certified kinshipcarehomefrom the reasons that may not be used to delay youth placement permanency planning.

SECTIONSECTION1. 1.

InInColoradoRevisedStatutes,26-6-904.5,amend(2) Colorado Revised Statutes, 26-6-904.5, amend (2) and (3);

Kinship foster care homes - certification and revocationrevocationofcertification-financialassistanceandsupports-training of certification - financial assistance and supports - training - interagency resource data - report - rules - repeal.

(2) CERTIFIEDC kinshipfostercarehomesareeligibleforfinancialERTIFIED kinship foster care homes are eligible for financial reimbursement and supports at the same rate as foster care homes, as established in rules promulgatedADOPTEDpromulgated ADOPTED by the state board of human services.

Non-certified kinship care homes are eligible for financial assistanceassistanceandsupportsat andthirtypercentof supportsthefostercarerate,basedonthe atage thirty percent of the fosterchild careor rate,youth basedreceiving on theageof thechildoryouthreceiving care.

Beginning in statefiscalyearstate fiscal year 2026-27, non-certified kinship care homes are eligible for financial assistanceandsupportatfiftypercentofassistance thefostercarerate,basedontheand agesupport at fifty percent of the childfoster care rate, based on the Capital letters or youthbold receiving& care.italic numbers indicate new material added to existing law;

dashes through words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law and such material is not part of the act.

age of the child or youth receiving care.

(3) (a) The state department shall, SUBJECT TO AVAILABLE APPROPRIATIONS ,reimbursethecountydepartmentsninetypercentofthe, amountsreimburse expendedthe by county departments forninety CERTIFIEDpercent kinshipof fosterthe -2-amountsexpendedbycountydepartmentsfor 1374CERTIFIED carekinshipfostercare and non-certified kinship carecareaily daily rates to support financial assistance.Thekinshipfostercarerateandnon-certifiedkinshipcarerateassistance. are exempt from the close-out process described in section 26-5-104 (3).

(b)The Forkinship statefoster fiscalcare yearsrate 2024-25 and 2025-26,non-certified thekinship generalcare assemblyrate mayare appropriateexempt money from the Coloradoclose-out long-termprocess worksdescribed reserve, created in section 26-2-721,26-5-104 for(3). the purposes of providing the funding required by subsection (2) of this section.

(c)(b) AForstatefiscalyears2024-25and2025-26,thegeneralassembly COUNTYmayappropriatemoneyfromtheColoradolong-termworksreserve,created DEPARTMENTin ISsection NOT26-2-721, REQUIREDfor TOthe PROVIDEpurposes FINANCIALASSISTANCEANDSUPPORTSFORNONof -CERTIFIEDKINSHIPCARE,providing EXCEPTASREQUIREDBYSECTIONthe 475OFTHEFEDERALfunding "SOCIALSrequired ECURITYby Asubsection CT",(2) 42of U.S.SECthis .section.

675OR(c) SECTIONS19-3-208ANDACOUNTYDEPARTMENTISNOTREQUIREDTOPROVIDEFINANCIAL 19-3-403ASSISTANCE (3.6)(c) AND (9).SUPPORTS FOR NON CERTIFIED KINSHIP CARE ,EXCEPT AS REQUIRED BY SECTION 475 OF THE FEDERAL "SOCIAL SECURITY A CT", 42 U.S.C.

(8)SEC. THE STATE DEPARTMENT SHALL CREATE A STANDARDIZED NOTICE FOR NON CERTIFIED KINSHIP CARE PROVIDERS REGARDING THE DISCONTINUATION OF NON -CERTIFIED KINSHIP CARE ASSISTANC.

THE675OR NOTICESECTIONS MUST19-3-208AND SPECIFY19-3-403 THE(3.6)(cAND DATE(9). NON -CERTIFIED KINSHIP CARE ASSISTANCE ENDS AND PROVIDE INFORMATION REGARDING THE OPTION FORTHENON -CERTIFIEDKINSHIPCAREPROVIDERTOBECOMEACERTIFIED KINSHIP CARE PROVIDER , IF ELIGIBL,INCLUDING THE OPTION FOR PROVISIONALCERTIFICATION.E ACHCOUNTYDEPARTMENTOFHUMANOR SOCIAL SERVICES SHALL PROVIDE THE NOTIC,NO LATER THANJUNE 15, 2026,TO ALL NON CERTIFIED KINSHIP FOSTER CARE HOMES CURRENTLY RECEIVING MONTHLY PAYMENTS .

SECTION2.(8) T HE STATE DEPARTMENT SHALL CREATE A STANDARDIZED NOTICE FOR NON -CERTIFIED KINSHIP CARE PROVIDERS REGARDING THE DISCONTINUATION OF NON -CERTIFIED KINSHIP CARE ASSISTANCE .

InColoradoRevisedStatutes,19-3-702,amend(3)THE introductoryNOTICE portionMUST asSPECIFYTHE follows:DATE NON -CERTIFIED KINSHIPCARE ASSISTANCE ENDS AND PROVIDE INFORMATION REGARDING THE OPTION FOR THE NON -CERTIFIED KINSHIP CARE PROVIDER TO BECOME A CERTIFIED KINSHIP CARE PROVIDER ,IF ELIGIBLE,INCLUDING THE OPTION FOR PROVISIONAL CERTIFICATION.E ACHCOUNTYDEPARTMENTOFHUMANORSOCIALSERVICES SHALL PROVIDE THE NOTICE ,NO LATER THAN JUNE 15, 2026,TO ALL NON -CERTIFIED KINSHIP FOSTER CARE HOMES CURRENTLY RECEIVING MONTHLY PAYMENTS .

SECTION 2.

In Colorado Revised Statutes, 19-3-702, amend (3) introductory portion as follows:

(3) At any permanency planning hearing, the court shall first -3-determine 1374if determineifthe thechildoryouthshouldbereturnedchild tothechild'soryouth'sor youth should be returned to the child's or youth's PAGE 2-HOUSE BILL 26-1374 parent, named guardian, or legal custodian and, if applicable, the date on whichthechildwhich the child or youth must be returned.

If the child oryouthcannotbeor youth cannot be returned home, the court shall also determine whether reasonable efforts have been made to find asafeandstablepermanenthomeforthechilda orsafe youth.Theand courtstable shallpermanent nothome delaypermanencyplanningbyconsideringthefor placementofchildrenoryouthtogetherasasiblinggrouporforpurposesthe ofmaintainingfinancialsupportforaCERTIFIEDkinshipfostercarehome,child or ayouth. non-certified kinship care home,unless there are exceptional circumstances approved by the court.

AtThe anycourt shall not delay permanency planning hearing,by considering the placement of children or youth together as a sibling group or for purposes of maintaining financial support for aCERTIFIED kinship foster care home, or a non-certified kinship care home, unless there are exceptional circumstancesapprovedbythecourt.Atanypermanencyplanninghearing, the court shall make the following determinations, when applicable:

TemporaryTemporarycustody-hearing-timelimits-restriction custody - hearing - time limits - restriction - rules.

(3.6)(a)(IV)(3.6) Thecourtshallorderacountydepartmentof(a) human(IV) orsocialservicestoexerciseduediligencetocontactallgrandparentsandThe otheradultrelativesandidentifiedkinwithinthirtydaysaftertheremovalcourt ofthechildoryouthandtoinformthemaboutplacementpossibilitiesforshall theorder childa orcounty youth,department unlessof thehuman courtor determinessocial thereservices isto goodexercise causedue notdiligence to contact all grandparents and other adult relatives and identified kin within thirty days after the removal of the child or goodyouth causeand to delayinform contactingthem about placement possibilities for the child'schild or youth'syouth, relativesunless andthe court determines there is good cause not to contactorgoodcausetodelaycontactingthechild'soryouth'srelativesand kin, including, but not limited to, family or domestic violence.

(B) ThenoticemustincludeinformationaboutprovidingcareforThe notice must include information about providing care for the child or youth while the familyfamilyreceives receives reunification services, with thegoalofreturningthechildoryouthtotheparentorlegalguardian;thethe relative'srighttointerveneintheproceedingswithorwithoutanattorneygoal -4-of 1374returning followingthe adjudication;child or youth to the parent or legal guardian;

the relative's right to intervene in the proceedings with or without an attorney following adjudication;

The notice must also include information regarding the state's entitlement plans, including, but not limited to, child care assistance, supplemental nutritional assistance programs, the relative guardianship assistance program, child-only eligibilityeligibilityfortemporaryassistanceforneedyfamilies(TANF),andadoption for temporary assistance for needy families (TANF), and adoption assistance, as well as other options for contact.

Information aboutfamilyfostercarecertification,includinghowtorequestavarianceabout family foster care certification, including how to request a variance from certification standards thatthatdonotpresentasafetyorhealthriskto dothe notchild presentor ayouth safetyin orthe healthhome riskOBTAIN toA thechildoryouthinthehomePROVISIONAL OBTAINAPROVISIONALCERTIFICATIONCERTIFICATION ,and, supportsthatareavailableand supports that are available for relativesandkinandchildrenoryouthandrelatives whatbackgroundchecksarerequired,aswellashowrelativesorkinmayand requestkin and children or youth and what PAGE 3-HOUSE BILL 26-1374 backgroundchecksarerequired,aswellashowrelativesorkinmayrequest the court review decisions to denydenyplacement placement based on backgroundchecksandwhycertificationasakinshipfosterhomemaybebackground checks and whycertification as a kinship foster home maybe denied, must also be provided in the notice.

except that section 26-6-904.5 (2) and(3),and (3), Colorado Revised Statutes, as amendedamendedinsection1of inthisact,and section 1 of this act, and section 2 of this act take effect on July 1, 2026.