HB 24-1408 Summary

• Authorizes the Department of Human Services to exceed appropriations for the Relative Guardianship Assistance Program and Adoption Assistance Program without the $1 million annual cap that applies to other non-Medicaid overexpenditures.

• Designates both programs as entitlement programs that operate outside normal budget allocation caps and close-out processes, allowing the state to reimburse 90% of county costs regardless of appropriation limits.

• Requires the state department to report to the Joint Budget Committee by January 2 annually (beginning 2025) on actual and projected caseloads and expenditures for both assistance programs, with reporting requirements continuing indefinitely.

• Appropriates $4,914,849 for fiscal year 2023-24 and $5,662,305 for fiscal year 2024-25 to the Department of Human Services Division of Child Welfare for adoption and relative guardianship assistance, with anticipated federal matching funds of $12,101,247 and $12,914,803 respectively.

• Allows the funding model to inform but not determine final allocations to counties, ensuring allocations reflect actual service delivery costs while maintaining equitable distribution based on caseload estimates.