SENATE BILL REPORT

                                   SSB 5090

                        AS PASSED SENATE, MARCH 7, 1991

Brief Description:  Concerning foster family home licenses.

SPONSORS:Senate Committee on Children & Family Services (originally sponsored by Senators Roach and Stratton; by request of Dept. of Social & Health Services).

SENATE COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5090 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators Roach, Chairman; L. Smith, Vice Chairman; Craswell, and Stratton. 

Staff:  Joanne Conrad (786‑7190)

Hearing Dates: January 22, 1991; February 13, 1991

BACKGROUND:

RCW 74.15.110 requires that requests for renewal of child care agency and foster family home licenses be filed no later than 90 days prior to the expiration date of the license.

However, the department frequently receives and processes otherwise acceptable applications for renewal within a shorter time frame than the statutory 90 days, in order to facilitate retention capability for qualified homes.

Federal auditors, in a recent review of foster family care, questioned the validity of accepting applications for renewal that are received less than 90 days prior to expiration of the original license.

SUMMARY:

Additional statutory flexibility in accepting applications for renewal is provided, by extending the time to file until the expiration of the license.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  requested

TESTIMONY FOR:

The state would lose federal Title IV matching funds unless it conforms statute to actual practice of allowing applications for renewal until the expiration of the license. Staff time savings will be created by eliminating the need to justify case-by-case extensions of application for relicensure.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  Colleen Waterhouse, Division of Children and Family Services (pro)