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2008 SESSION

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SB 472 Group homes & residential facilities for children; regulations for licensure of programs offered.

Introduced by: Emmett W. Hanger, Jr. | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles | history

SUMMARY AS PASSED:

Licensure of group homes and residential facilities for children.  Eliminates the interdepartmental regulation of children's residential facilities and group homes, and provides that the Departments of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, Social Services, and Juvenile Justice shall regulate and license children's residential facilities and group homes for which they are the primary licensing agency. This bill provides that each licensing agency shall conduct background checks of persons working or volunteering at children's residential facilities and group homes. This bill further provides that the Department of Education shall be the sole entity responsible for licensure of educational programs in children's residential facilities and group homes.

SUMMARY AS PASSED SENATE:

Licensure of group homes and residential facilities for children.  Eliminates the interdepartmental regulation of children's residential facilities and group homes and requires the Departments of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, Social Services, and Juvenile Justice to regulate and license the children's residential facilities and group homes for which they are the primary licensing agency. Each agency would be responsible for performing its own background checks for employees working at children's residential facilities and group homes. The Department of Education would only license the educational programs in children's residential facilities and group homes.

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Licensure of group homes and residential facilities for children.  Eliminates provisions requiring the Department of Education and the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services to regulate group homes and residential facilities for children. This bill requires the Department of Social Services to regulate group homes and residential facilities for children, requires the Department of Education to regulate educational programs and the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services to regulate mental health, mental retardation or substance abuse services offered in group homes and residential facilities for children licensed by the Department of Social Services.