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Senate Passes Scaled-Down Version Of Foster Care Privatization

March 20th, 2014

The Georgia Senate Thursday passed a scaled-down version of a plan to privatize the state’s child welfare system, one that closely mirrors a separate version passed by the chamber’s counterparts in the House earlier this week.As heard on the radio

Instead of privatizing services like adoption, foster care and case management statewide, as Senate lawmakers had been pushing for up to Thursday, the latest version sets up a three-year pilot program in three of 15 proposed districts starting July 2015.

Plans for privatization as passed by the House Tuesday provides for a two-year pilot program in three districts.

The revised Senate plan passed as an attachment to HB 914, which requires school officials who submit a child abuse or neglect report to be notified by government or child welfare agencies within 24 hours of receiving the claim. The Senate’s original privatization bill, SB 350, passed the chamber with ease last month.

“We listened to the stakeholders in the state,” said Sen. Renee Unterman (R-Buford), the bill’s sponsor and most vocal advocate. “This is one of the things they talked about. They wanted it to be slowed down, more contemplative, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

The revised plan also sets up a Child Welfare Pilot Program Commission to be appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the House.

It’s unclear at this point what lead to the Senate’s change of heart.

Unterman said the change was the result of a deal struck between House and Senate members involved with the bill. However, other sources familiar with the privatization effort dispute her claim, saying it was not the result of negotiations.

Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur), who sits on the committee that introduced the House version, said the new Senate version is more palatable to her and possibly other House members.

“I think pilot programs in a particular region are an acceptable approach,” Oliver said. “There’s some other details that I think are still in the works, but I think an agreement is very possible today.

Since both chambers have passed separate versions, a conference committee is still needed to draft a final bill.