ENGR. H. B. NO. 3258 Summary

• Requires the Department of Human Services to develop and submit a statewide plan by July 1, 2011 to outsource foster care and related services to competent private social services agencies through a competitive process.

• Implementation must be completed by July 1, 2013, with a nonprofit agency selected as the lead agency to oversee the outsourcing plan developed with community input and participation.

• Authorizes private agencies with transferred case management responsibilities to act as guardians for school registration and emergency medical decisions when parents/guardians are unavailable, but prohibits consent to sterilization, abortion, or life support termination.

• Requires the Department to establish a quality assurance program based on federal Adoption and Safe Families Act standards and national accreditation organizations, with annual evaluations and use of independent financial audits to reduce administrative reviews.

• Allows for alternative implementation plans in communities where competitive contracting is economically or demographically infeasible, including public-private partnerships or consortia arrangements, with independent evaluator assessment of feasibility.