HB 337 Summary

• Reestablishes the Citizens' Review Panel for Permanency Planning as a state-level panel in the Department of Administration with five voting members appointed by the governor from local panel members and five nonvoting ex officio members.

• Creates local citizen out-of-home care review panels for each judicial district composed of five members and two alternates appointed by the governor to review case plans for children in state custody outside their homes within 180 days of removal and every six months thereafter.

• Requires the Department of Health and Social Services to notify appropriate local review panels within 60 days after removing a child from their home or when a court commits a child to the department.

• Authorizes disclosure of confidential case information to local citizen out-of-home care review panels and requires local panels to submit written reports with advisory recommendations within 30 days of case review.

• Takes effect July 1, 2022, with the state panel sunset date of June 30, 2026, and repeals existing panel provisions effective July 1, 2026.