Colorado § 24-60-1803 - Working group to review proposal for enactment of compact - membership - recommendations to Colorado's commissioner.

§ 24-60-1803. Working group to review proposal for enactment of compact - membership - recommendations to Colorado's commissioner.

[Editor's note: This version of part 18 takes effect on the date the compact is enacted into law in the thirty-fifth compact state, see § 24-60-1804.]

(1) After this part 18 takes effect pursuant to section 24-60-1804, and subject to available appropriations, the executive director of the department of human services shall convene a working group to review the proposal for enactment of the revised interstate compact for the placement of children, and conclude one year later unless amended.

(2) The following appointments to the working group must be made:

(a) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint:

(I) A member who represents an urban county department of human or social services; and

(II) A member who is a county attorney who represents an urban county;

(b) The minority leader of the house of representatives shall appoint:

(I) A member who represents a rural county department of human or social services; and

(II) A member who is a county attorney who represents a rural county;

(c) The president of the senate shall appoint a member who represents a nonprofit association that advocates for civil liberties;

(d) The governor shall appoint:

(I) A member who is a current or retired juvenile judge or magistrate; and

(II) A member who has lived experience with participating in an interstate compact placement or home study; and

(e) The executive director of the department of human services or the executive director's designee shall appoint:

(I) A member who represents a nonprofit organization that advocates for parents with limited incomes;

(II) A member who represents a nonprofit association that advocates for relative and kinship placements; and

(III) A member who represents the Colorado department of human services.

(3) Additional members must include:

(a) The child protection ombudsman, or the ombudsman's designee;

(b) A representative from the office of the respondent parents' counsel, created in section 13-92-103; and

(c) A representative from the office of the child's representative, created in section 13-91-104.

(4) The working group shall review and make recommendations, according to a time frame determined by the working group, to Colorado's commissioner to the compact on the following issues:

(a) Evaluating the current compact process for children and families;

(b) Determining the status of Colorado's implementation of the national electronic interstate compact enterprise requirements and what effect the implementation of these requirements may have on Colorado;

(c) Improving the use of cross-border agreements;

(d) Identifying any barriers to placing children in residential treatment facilities out of state and options for addressing barriers within existing law;

(e) Identifying and prioritizing any alternative efforts being made to address interstate placement issues at the national level; and

(f) Identifying language and processes to improve interstate placements.

Source: L. 2024: Entire part R&RE, (SB 24-125), ch. 248, p. 1649, § 2, effective August 7.