Although the Minnesota legislative session does not officially begin until February 25, quite a few bills were introduced in the interim on Monday. Because there are several that may impact children, youth, and families involved in child welfare (or at risk of involvement), I have decided to write two posts providing brief descriptions of these bills. Bills are sorted according to their subject.

For more on what the Minnesota legislature may take up this session, as well as for explanations of my inclusion of certain bills below, read my post from last Friday summarizing the 2014 Children & Youth Issues Briefing.

Additionally, some of these bills will be highlighted in later posts, and they will be added to our bill tracking webpage soon (currently under redesign).

Without further ado, here are bills related to adoption, foster care, and sexual exploitation of children and youth.

Adoption

H.F. 1969: Introduced by Rep. Pat Garofalo and others, this bill conforms effective dates in our tax law to effective dates under federal tax law in terms of the now-permanent expansion of the adoption credit and adoption assistance programs, per the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. (H.F. 2002, introduced by Rep. Kim Norton and others, says the exact same thing.)

Foster Care

H.F. 1966: Introduced by Rep. Tina Liebling, this bill aims to limit foster children’s exposure to secondhand smoke by prohibiting smoking in foster homes and attached spaces (e.g. garages, decks, and porches), outdoor areas on the premises of the home when a foster child is present, and motor vehicles that are used to transport foster youth. Home studies of prospective foster parents must include plans to maintain a smoke-free environment.
It would appear that considerations are made for relatives, however: The bill states that placements with relatives should not be delayed unless the relative cannot provide for the immediate health needs of the child, and should a foster parent be unable to provide a smoke-free environment, the agency is required to reassess whether it is in the best interests of the child to continue the placement (note that it does not say that the agency should place the child elsewhere). Additionally, there is an exemption for traditional or spiritual Native American or religious ceremonies involving the use of tobacco.

H.F. 2028: Introduced by Rep. Jason Isaacson and others, this bill strengthens the placement preference of children with relatives by explicitly stating that relatives should be the first placement a child has (“in the absence of good cause to the contrary”). Should the courts find that placement with a relative would harm the child or if a relative is unavailable, then the placement should be with an important friend with whom the child has resided or had significant contact.

Sexual Exploitation of Youth

H.F. 1958: Introduced by Rep. Michael Paymar, this bill would allow unspent grant and training funds to combat sexual exploitation of youth to be carried over into the second year.

Tomorrow I will post about bills related to child welfare, including those whose topics are early learning, mental health, the Minnesota Family Investment Program and child care assistance, and the minimum wage, among others.

Have a thought about one of these bills? Let me know by leaving a comment below!