HOUSE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

HOUSE BILL 539

56th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2023

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO THE PUBLIC PEACE, HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE; REQUIRING THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SERVICE TO CONTRACT WITH AN IN-STATE PUBLIC POST-SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK OR RESEARCH-BASED ORGANIZATION WITH EXPERTISE IN WORKFORCE TO PRODUCE CHILD WELFARE CASELOAD STANDARDS, ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT FOR ONE YEAR; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. [NEW MATERIAL] LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SERVICE CONTRACT FOR CASELOAD ANALYSIS--REPORT--CONTENTS.--

          A. The legislative council service shall contract for one year with an in-state public post-secondary educational institution with a school of social work or a research-based organization with expertise in workforce to conduct a child welfare caseload analysis for child abuse and neglect investigators, in-home family services, foster care, kinship care, permanency planning, adoptions and home studies.

          B. The in-state public post-secondary educational institution or the research-based organization with expertise in workforce that receives the contract with the legislative council service shall convene and oversee focus groups composed of clients of the child welfare system, foster parents, academic faculty with child welfare expertise and children, youth and families department direct line workers and supervisors. The focus groups shall encompass the diverse and inclusive representation of the state, including rural and urban settings.

          C. The in-state public post-secondary educational institution or the research-based organization with expertise in workforce shall develop a New Mexico child welfare model for child welfare caseload reduction, standard of care and caseload management.

          D. The legislative council service shall submit the standard of care and caseload standards to the children, youth and families department within twelve months of the date the executed contract begins. The children, youth and families department shall implement the standard of care and caseload standards within one year of receiving them from the legislative council service.

          E. Beginning on the date referenced in Subsection D of this section, the legislative council service shall provide a report to the legislative finance committee, the governor and the legislative health and human services committee.

     SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION.--Two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the legislative council service for expenditure in fiscal years 2024 and 2025 to contract with an in-state public post-secondary educational institution or a research-based organization with expertise in workforce to conduct a one-year analysis on standard of care and caseload standards for the children, youth and families department. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2025 shall revert to the general fund.

     SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2023.

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