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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Miera

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1-19-07

HB 64

SHORT TITLE Programs For Incarcerated Parents & Kids

SB

ANALYST Lucero

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$3,200.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to: Senate Bill 198 “IDENTIFY MINORS & DEPENDENTS UPON ARRESTS"

Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act; The Executive recommendation for

Children, Youth and Families Department contains $150 thousand for a contact visitation

program and an additional $75 thousand for video conference equipment for incarcerated adults

and juveniles.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 64 appropriates three million three hundred twenty thousand dollars ($3,320,000)

from the general fund to the Children, Youth and Families Department in FY 08 of which two

million six hundred thousand ($2,600,000) will be used to contract with community-based

providers to work within local detention facilities to link children and their caretakers to

resources and to facilitate communication and visitation between jailed and incarcerated parents

and their children. Five hundred twenty thousand dollars ($520,000) will be used to contract

with four detention facilities to develop and implement contact visitation programs between

jailed and incarcerated parents and their children. Two hundred thousand ($200,000) will be

used to purchase equipment to establish videoconferencing capability between Children, Youth

and Families Department and Corrections Department detention facilities.

House Bill 64 – Page

2

House Bill 64 appropriates three million three hundred twenty thousand dollars ($3,320,000)

from the general fund to Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) split between three

initiatives as follows: $2,600,000 to contract with community-based providers to work within

local detention facilities to link children and their caretakers to resources and to facilitate

communication and visitation between jailed and incarcerated parents and their children;

$520,000 to contract with four detention facilities to develop and implement contact visitation

programs between jailed and incarcerated parents and their children; and $200,000 for equipment

to establish videoconferencing capability between CYFD and Corrections department detention

facilities.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of three million three hundred twenty thousand dollars ($3,320,000) contained

in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance

remaining at the end of fiscal year 2008 shall revert to the general fund.

CYFD states that given the tasks and responsibilities needed to provide request for proposals,

contract issuances and program development, it may not be possible to fully implement these

programs within the fiscal year. Further, any such programs developed would need future fiscal

support to maintain.

The Executive recommendation for CYFD contains $150,000 for a contact visitation program

and $75,000 for video conference equipment for incarcerated adults and juveniles.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The Executive recommendation for CYFD contains $150,000 for a contact visitation program

and $75,000 for video conference equipment for incarcerated adults and juveniles. The

appropriation allocations in this bill are greater than what the Executive is recommending for

contact visitation and video equipment.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

This bill supports the “Blue Ribbon Panel" recommendation on Jailed and Incarcerated Parents.

The Blue Ribbon Panel is appointed by the Governor’s Office under the Executive order 2006-

022.

This bill impacts the CYFD strategic plan and federal Child and a Family Service Review

performance measure concerning the percent of children who are the subject of substantiated

maltreatment within six months of a prior determination of substantiated maltreatment.

The bill could also impacts CYFD’s performance on the federal Child and Family Service

Review Family and Child Well-Being outcomes because families would have enhanced capacity

to provide for their children's needs and for children to receive adequate services to meet their

physical and mental health needs.

House Bill 64 – Page

3

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

If passed, the bill will increase the administrative burden to children, youth and families

department which is not addressed in the bill.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

Relates to Senate Bill 198 “IDENTIFY MINORS & DEPENDENTS UPON ARRESTS".

TECHNICAL ISSUES

The bill attempts to link children with incarcerated parents. This bill is a little unclear as to

whether the appropriations are limited to children in the State’s custody (CYFD custody) or if

the programming is for all children of incarcerated parents.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

None identified.

ALTERNATIVES

None identified.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL

Status Quo.

DL/csd