House Bill 935 Summary

• Establishes seven regions for child welfare and social services supervision by March 1, 2020, with full regional model implementation including offices by March 1, 2022, and appropriates $914,790 annually for 11 new staff positions to support regionalization.

• Requires criminal history record checks (state and national fingerprint-based) for all employees and volunteers in child care institutions as defined by Title IV-E of the Social Security Act, with the Department of Health and Human Services making hiring/volunteer decisions based on specified factors rather than automatic disqualification.

• Requires county boards of social services members to attend education and training sessions during their first year of service, addressing potential board liabilities, with sessions available statewide by March 1, 2020.

• Directs the Administrative Office of the Courts to study the feasibility of establishing a child support tribunal with dedicated court officers using quasi-judicial procedures and submit findings by March 1, 2020.

• Adds conflict of interest provisions allowing the Department of Health and Human Services to resolve disputes between county departments when they cannot manage adverse interests of individuals they serve, and directs the Department to study transferring adult guardianship cases to counties.