SR622: SR622 Joint Study Committee on Evaluating Escalating Costs in Georgia's Foster Care System; create

26 LC 60 0254 Senate Resolution 622 By: Senators Kirkpatrick of the 32nd, Hatchett of the 50th, Parent of the 44th, Payne of the 54th, Brass of the 6th and others ADOPTED A RESOLUTION Creating the Joint Study Committee on Evaluating Escalating Costs in Georgia's Foster Care1 System; and for other purposes.2 WHEREAS, the Georgia Department of Human Services, through its Division of Family and3 Children Services (DFCS), is the state agency designated to care for Georgia's foster children4 and child welfare services populations; and5 WHEREAS, DFCS has custody of nearly 10,000 foster children; and6 WHEREAS, out of home care services provided by DFCS include tra nsportation and7 behavioral aides for foster children; and8 WHEREAS, out of home care services totaled $141,309,251 in FY25 and are projected to9 exceed $164,728,091 in FY26, having increased 159 percent since 2022; and10 WHEREAS, the rapid escalation of costs jeopardizes the sustainability of existing programs11 from a state funding perspective; and12 S. R. 622 - 1 - 26 LC 60 0254 WHEREAS, the cost of out of home services is impacted by many v ariables, including13 judicial orders and the needs of each individual child; and14 WHEREAS, the functioning of Georgia's foster care system in the best interests of foster15 children requires an appropriate use of all available provider networks and available funding16 sources; and17 WHEREAS, a study committee would be beneficial to examine the existing framework of18 the delivery of out of home care services, wrap-around services , and all related costs to19 determine future availability of resources and leverage efficie ncies to achieve the best20 possible outcomes for foster children.21 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF22 GEORGIA:23 (1) Creation of joint study committee. There is created the Joint Study Committee on24 Evaluating Escalating Costs in Georgia's Foster Care System.25 (2) Members and officers.26 (A) The committee shall be composed of 20 members.27 (B) The Governor shall appoint one member who has served as a special assistant28 attorney general and represented the state in dependency proceedings within the last six29 months;30 (C) The President of the Senate shall appoint six members of the Senate as members31 of the committee, one of whom shall be a representative of a Ge orgia licensed child32 placing agency serving as a statewide service provider. The Pr esident of the Senate33 shall designate one of such members as cochairperson;34 (D) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint six members of the35 House of Representatives as members of the committee, one of wh om shall be a36 S. R. 622 - 2 - 26 LC 60 0254 representative of a Georgia li censed child car ing institution s erving as a statewide37 service provider. The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate one of38 such members as cochairperson; and39 (E) The committee shall include additional members as follows:40 (i) The Commissioner of the Department of Human Services or his or her designee;41 (ii) The Commissioner of the Department of Community Health or his or her42 designee;43 (iii) The Commissioner of the Department of Juvenile Justice or his or her designee;44 (iv) The Commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental45 Disabilities or his or her designee;46 (v) The President of the Council of Juvenile Court Judges or his or her designee;47 (vi) The President of the Council of Superior Court Judges or his or her designee; and48 (vii) The Executive Director of Together Georgia or his or her designee from among49 its alliance of children and family services providers.50 (3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,51 issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or52 legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.53 (4) Meetings. The cochairpersons shall call all meetings of the committee. T h e54 committee may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem55 necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform56 its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.57 (5) Allowances, expenses, and funding.58 (A) The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided59 for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.60 (B) Members of the committee who are state officials, other than legislative members,61 or state employees shall receive no compensation for their services on the committee,62 but they may be reimbursed for expenses incurred by them in the performance of their63 S. R. 622 - 3 - 26 LC 60 0254 duties as members of the committee in the same manner as they a re reimbursed for64 expenses in their capacities as state officials or employees.65 (C) Members of the committee who are not legislators, state of ficials, or state66 employees shall receive a daily expense allowance in an amount the same as that67 specified in subsection (b) of Code Section 45-7-21 of the Offi cial Code of Georgia68 Annotated, as well as the mileage or transportation allowance a uthorized for state69 employees.70 (D) The allowances and expenses authorized by this resolution shall not be received71 by any member of the committee for more than five days unless a dditional days are72 authorized. Funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come73 from funds appropriated to the Senate and the House of Represen tatives; except that74 funds for the reimbursement of the expenses of state officials, other than legislative75 members, and state employees shall come from funds appropriated to or otherwise76 available to their respective agencies.77 (6) Report.78 (A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that79 include suggestions for proposed legislation, the cochairpersons shall file a report of the80 same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolut ion, subject to81 subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.82 (B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not i nclude suggestions for83 proposed legislation, the cochairpersons shall file the report, s u b j e c t t o84 subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.85 (C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of86 abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee. 87 A report so approved shall be signed by the cochairpersons of the committee and filed88 with the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives.89 S. R. 622 - 4 - 26 LC 60 0254 (D) In the absence of an approved report, the cochairpersons m ay file with the90 Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Represent atives copies of the91 minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu thereof.92 (7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2026.93 S. R. 622 - 5 -