S.B. No. 291 Summary

• Amends child abuse and neglect reporting requirements under section 2151.421 to include employees of qualified organizations providing host family services as mandatory reporters.

• Establishes new sections 2151.90-2151.903 to regulate temporary host family placements for children when parents are incarcerated, incapacitated, receiving medical/psychiatric treatment, on active military service, or in other appropriate circumstances.

• Requires "qualified organizations" facilitating host family agreements to conduct criminal and abuse registry background checks, provide training, supervise placements, and plan for child's return to parents.

• Limits host family placements to one year maximum, except that juvenile courts may extend the period for extenuating circumstances under section 2151.901.

• Prohibits public children services agencies from filing abandonment or neglect complaints solely based on compliant host family placements and allows the abandonment presumption to be rebutted if placement followed section 2151.90 requirements.