Senate File 2135 SENATE FILE BY KREIMAN Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act repealing restrictions on court orders for placement of 2 children in group foster care. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5686XS 80 5 jp/sh/8 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 232.52, subsection 2A, Code Supplement 1 2 2003, is amended by striking the subsection. 1 3 Sec. 2. Section 232.102, subsection 1A, Code Supplement 1 4 2003, is amended by striking the subsection. 1 5 Sec. 3. Section 232.117, subsection 4, Code Supplement 1 6 2003, is amended by striking the subsection. 1 7 Sec. 4. Section 232.127, subsection 8, Code Supplement 1 8 2003, is amended by striking the subsection. 1 9 Sec. 5. Section 232.188, subsection 4, Code Supplement 1 10 2003, is amended to read as follows: 1 11 4. In a decategorization agreement, the department and the 1 12 county's or group of counties' decategorization governance 1 13 board shall agree on all of the following items: the 1 14 governance relationship between the department and the 1 15 decategorization governance board; the respective areas of 1 16 autonomy of the department and the board; the budgeting 1 17 structure for the decategorization; and a method for resolving 1 18 disputes between the department and the board. The 1 19 decategorization agreement shall require the department and 1 20 the decategorization governance board to agree upon a budget 1 21within sixty days of the date by which the regional group 1 22 foster care budget targets are determined under section 1 23 232.143 foron or before August 31 of the fiscal year to which 1 24 the budget applies. The budget may later be modified to 1 25 reflect new or changed circumstances. 1 26 Sec. 6. Section 234.35, subsection 1, paragraph e, Code 1 27 Supplement 2003, is amended to read as follows: 1 28 e. When a court has entered an order transferring the 1 29 legal custody of the child to a foster care placement pursuant 1 30 to section 232.52, subsection 2, paragraph "d", or section 1 31 232.102, subsection 1.However, payment for a group foster 1 32 care placement shall be limited to those placements which 1 33 conform to a regional group foster care plan established 1 34 pursuant to section 232.143.1 35 Sec. 7. Section 232.143, Code Supplement 2003, is 2 1 repealed. 2 2 EXPLANATION 2 3 This bill repeals restrictions in the juvenile justice code 2 4 in Code chapter 232 on court orders for placement of children 2 5 in group foster care. 2 6 Under current law, the general assembly annually 2 7 establishes, in an appropriation made to the department of 2 8 human services, a statewide expenditure target for children in 2 9 group foster care placements. Representatives of the 2 10 department and juvenile court services then allocate the 2 11 statewide target among the department's service areas based 2 12 upon a formula. Local representatives of the department and 2 13 juvenile court services develop a plan for the service area to 2 14 remain within the expenditure target. State payment for group 2 15 foster care services is limited to those placements that 2 16 comply with the plan and the juvenile court is prohibited from 2 17 ordering a group foster care placement that does not comply 2 18 with the plan. 2 19 The bill repeals the expenditure target requirements in 2 20 Code section 232.143, strikes the Code subsections limiting 2 21 the juvenile court authority to issue dispositional orders for 2 22 group foster care placements, and makes conforming changes in 2 23 related provisions. 2 24 LSB 5686XS 80 2 25 jp/sh/8