H.F. No. 95 Summary

• Adds nondisqualifying background study information as a basis for denying licenses and imposing sanctions on family child foster care providers, with agencies required to review offense type, number, nature, time elapsed, rehabilitation evidence, and community input before recommendations.

• Establishes disqualification standards specific to licensed family child foster care providers, including permanent bars for serious crimes (murder, assault, sexual conduct, crimes against children) regardless of time passed, and five-year bars for certain controlled substance and assault convictions.

• Allows variance exceptions for individuals under 18 years of age at time of background study submission and for adopted individuals in family child foster care settings when recommended by county agencies.

• Modifies fingerprint retention policies to clarify that state agencies do not retain fingerprints after background studies are completed, while photographs are retained for two years and subjects may request data destruction.

• Appropriates $100,000 for fiscal year 2021 (with $115,000 base for 2022-2023) to the Department of Human Services for information technology systems to implement family child foster care background study requirements, with assumed federal participation of $32,000-$37,000 annually.