HF 828

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 02/18/2015 02:17pm

A bill for an act
relating to children; requiring the commissioner of human services to study the
disproportionate representation of black and Indian children in out-of-home
placements.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin STUDY OF OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN IN THE CHILD
WELFARE SYSTEM.
new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of human services, in consultation with representatives of
communities of color, child advocates, representatives of courts, local social service
agencies, and other interested parties, shall study why black and Indian children in
Minnesota are disproportionately represented in child welfare out-of-home placements.
The commissioner shall study each stage of the proceedings concerning children in need
of protection or services, including the point at which children enter the child welfare
system, each decision-making point in the child welfare system, and the outcomes for
children in the child welfare system, to determine why outcomes for children differ by
race. The commissioner shall study and determine if there are decision-making points
in the child welfare system that lead to different outcomes for children and how those
decision-making points affect outcomes for children. The commissioner shall study and
determine if, given similar fact patterns, parents of black and Indian children are treated
differently than parents of white children. The commissioner shall report and make
legislative recommendations on the following:
new text end

new text begin (1) methods by which local social service agencies can provide supports and
interventions to parents of black and Indian children in order to decrease the number of
children removed from their parent's care;
new text end

new text begin (2) training needed to reduce identified bias in the child welfare system; and
new text end

new text begin (3) methods to reduce the number and duration of out-of-home placements for
black and Indian children.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner shall submit the report and recommended legislation to the
chairs and ranking minority members of the committees in the house of representatives
and senate with jurisdiction over child protection and out-of-home placement issues by
January 15, 2016.
new text end