SecondHB1319_S_APP.002 RegularNOT SessionAMENDED Seventy-firstSENATE GeneralCOMMITTEE Assembly STATE OF COLORADOREFERENCE REENGROSSEDREPORT This_______________________________ VersionMay Includes3, All2018 AmendmentsChairman Adoptedof inCommittee theDate HouseCommittee ofon IntroductionAppropriations. LLS NO.

18-1110.01After Janeconsideration Ritteron x4342the HOUSEmerits, BILLthe 18-1319Committee HOUSErecommends SPONSORSHIPthe Singerfollowing: and Young, SENATE SPONSORSHIP Gardner, House Committees Senate Committees Public Health Care & Human Services Appropriations A BILL FOR AN ACT C ONCERNING THE EXTENSION OF SERVICES FOR A SUCCESSFUL ADULTHOOD FOR FORMER FOSTER CARE YOUTH WHO ARE BETWEEN THE AGES OF EIGHTEEN YEARS AND TWENTY -ONE YEARS , AND , IN CONNECTION THEREWITH , MAKING AN APPROPRIATION .

dHB18-1319 dbe Billreferred Summaryto ethe 8Committee Eof athe 0Whole Swith Ufavorable ,recommendation. (Note:

This** summary*** applies** to*** this** bill*HB1319_S_APP.002* as introduced and does O i l notreflectanyamendmentsthatmaybesubsequentlyadopted.Ifthisbill H a p R A passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that r applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at 3 http://leg.colorado.gov.) The bill allows countydepartments of human or social services to n d 1 extend the provision of certain services for a successful adulthood to E e 2 U d 9 O 2 i Shading denotes HOUSE amendment.

Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.

H d p Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing statude.

Dashes through the words indicate deletions from existing statute.

e m A foster care youth between the ages of 18 and 21 who have exited the foster care system (former foster care youth), including assistance with employment, housing, education, financial management, mental health care,andsubstanceabusetreatment(servicesforasuccessfuladulthood).

The bill also tasks the state department of human services with establishing a former foster care youth steering committee.

The purpose of the steering committee is to develop recommendations for an implementationplanthatsupportsthelong-termprovisionofservicesfor a successful adulthood for former foster care youth.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

SECTION 1.

In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 26-5-100.2 as follows:

26-5-100.2.

Legislative declaration.

(1)T HE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FINDS AND DECLARES THAT:

(a) EACH YEAR,FOR A VARIETY OF REASON,MORE THAN THREE HUNDRED YOUTH ,AGES EIGHTEEN TO TWENTY ONE ,EXITC OLORADO S FOSTER CARE SYSTEM WITHOUT A PERMANENT HOME OR A STABLE SUPPORT NETWORK ;

(b) THESE YOUTH DO NOT HAVE THE SAME SAFETY NETS , SUPPORTIVEADULTS ,ANDSUPPORTNETWORKSASDOOTHERYOUTHTHEIR AGE ;

(c) M ANY OF THESE YOUTH WILL FACE CHALLENGES AS THEY SEARCH FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING , PURSUE HIGHER EDUCATION OR TRAINING,SEARCH FOR EMPLOYMENT ,MANAGE TIGHT BUDGETS ,TAKE CARE OF THEIR HEALTH NEED,AND MUCH MORE ;

(d) YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE FACE NOT ONLY THE TYPICAL DEVELOPMENTALCHANGESANDNEWEXPERIENCESTHATARECOMMONTO YOUTH THEIR AGE BUT ALSO THE DRAMATIC CHANGE FROM BEING UNDER THE COUNTY 'S CARE TO BEING ON THEIR OWN ,MANY WITHOUT ANY -2- 1319 SUPPORTIVE ADULTS OR SAFETY NET TO HELP THEM SUCCEE;

(e) TEARRAYOFSERVICESANDSUPPORTSAVAILABLETOYOUTH WHILEINTHEFOSTERCARESYSTEM ,INCLUDINGHOUSING FOOD ,MEDICAL CARE ,AND CASEWORKER SUPPORT ,DISAPPEAR AS SOON AS THE YOUTH EXITSFOSTERCARE .ADDITIONALLY MANYOFTHESEYOUTHAREDEALING WITH THE LONG -TERM CONSEQUENCES OF TRAUMA RELATED TO THE ABUSE ,NEGLECT, REMOVAL ,AND OVERALL LACK OF RESOURCES THAT THEY MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED .

(f) B Y LEVERAGING THE EXPERTISE OF YOUTH WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY MADE THE TRANSITION TO ADULTHOOD ,AS WELL AS EXPERTS IN THE FIELD, MANY STATES HAVE DEVELOPED CREATIVE APPROACHES TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THESE YOUTH;

(g) COLORADO CAN START ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF YOUTH BY ALLOWING COUNTIES TO USE EXISTING CHILD WELFARE MONEY TO PROVIDE CONTINUED SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR YOUTH WHO EXIT THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM;AND (h) ALTHOUGHEXISTINGCHILDWELFAREMONEYMAYENABLETHE STATE TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO SOME YOUTH ,IT IS INSUFFICIENT TO ADDRESSALLTHENEED NORISITAVAILABLECONSISTENTLYACROSSTHE STATE.

(2) THEREFORE ,THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY DETERMINES THAT BY COUPLING THE SHORT TERM APPROACH OF USING EXISTING CHILD WELFAREMONEYWITHTHECREATIONOFASTEERINGCOMMITTEETASKED WITH DEVELOPING A LONG-TERM IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR SERVICES FORASUCCESSFULADULTHOODFORYOUTHWHOWEREFORMERLYINTHE STATE'S FOSTER CARE SYSTE,THE STATE CAN BETTER MEET THE NEEDS OF YOUTH WHO ARE MAKING THE TRANSITION FROM THE FOSTER CARE -3- 1319 SYSTEM TO SUCCESSFUL ADULTHOOD .

SECTION2.

InColoradoRevisedStatutes,26-5-101,amendthe introductory portion;

and add (4.1), (4.5), (5.5), and (5.8) as follows:

26-5-101.

Definitions.

As used in this articleE5, unless the context otherwise requires:

(4.1) "CUNTYDEPARTMENT "MEANSACOUNTYDEPARTMENTOF HUMAN OR SOCIAL SERVICES.

(4.5) "ORMER FOSTER CARE YOUTH " MEANS A YOUTH AT LEAST EIGHTEENYEARSOFAGEBUTYOUNGERTHANTWENTY ONEYEARSOFAGE WHO WAS FORMERLY IN THE LEGAL CUSTODY OR LEGAL AUTHORITY OF A COUNTY DEPARTMENT AND WHO WAS PLACED IN A CERTIFIED OR NONCERTIFIED KINSHIP CARE PLACEMENT , AS DEFINED IN SECTION 26-6-102 (21)A CERTIFIED OR LICENSED FACILIT;OR A FOSTER CARE HOME ,ASDEFINEDINSECTION 26-6-102(14)ANDCERTIFIEDPURSUANTTO ARTICLE 6OF THIS TITL26.

(5.5) "SERVICES FOR A SUCCESSFUL ADULTHOOD " MEANS SUPPORTIVE SERVICES THAT HELP FORMER FOSTERCARE YOUTHACHIEVE SELF-SUFFICIENCY.

"ERVICES FOR A SUCCESSFUL ADULTHOOD " MAY INCLUDE ,BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO ,ASSISTANCE WITH EDUCATION , EMPLOYMENT ,FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ,HOUSING ,MENTAL HEALTH CARE ,ANDSUBSTANCEABUSEPREVENTION ."SERVICESFORASUCCESSFUL ADULTHOOD " DOES NOT INCLUDE OUT -OF-HOME PLACEMENT , AS DESCRIBED IN SECTION26-5-102 (2)(i).

(5.8) "SEERING COMMITTEE "MEANS THE FORMER FOSTER CARE YOUTH STEERING COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION 26-5-114.

SECTION 3.

In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 26-5-113 and -4- 1319 26-5-114 as follows:

26-5-113.

Extended services for former foster care youth.

(1) A COUNTY DEPARTMENT MAY COORDINATE CERTAIN SERVICES TO FORMERFOSTERCARE YOUTHWHOREQUESTSUCHSERVICESINORDERTO SUPPORT SUCH FORMER FOSTER CARE YOUTH IN BECOMING SELF-SUFFICIENT ADULTS.