HF2321 Summary

• Establishes the Department of Children, Youth, and Families as a new state department effective July 1, 2024, with a commissioner appointed by the governor subject to senate confirmation.

• Transfers child care, early childhood education, child welfare, foster care, adoption, child support enforcement, SNAP, and juvenile justice programs from the Departments of Human Services, Education, Health, and Public Safety to the new department between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025.

• Modifies the Children's Cabinet to include the new commissioner of children, youth, and families instead of the director of the Office of Strategic and Long-Range Planning, replacing the existing cabinet structure.

• Appropriates $10,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 for setup and transition costs, plus additional funding for staffing ($823,000 in FY2024 and $3,521,000 in FY2025) and human services cost allocation planning ($2,941,000 in FY2024).

• Requires the commissioner to report biennial performance measures and program objectives to the legislature, and requires quarterly transition status reports during the transfer period.