SB 707 Civil Remedy for children placed out-of-state

VOTE: YES
Signed into Law by Gov Brown on 07-14-21
Status (overview) of bill:https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Measures/Overview/SB707

This bill requires the Department of Human Services, by October 1, 2021, to provide to each child and ward who the Department placed in an out-of-state residential facility between January 1, 2016 and June 30, 2020 notice of their right to seek civil remedy if there is a belief they were treated negligently. Directs department to obtain records from out-of-state residential facilities in which department placed child.

Fiscal Responsibility
DHS estimates the 2021-23 cost of these two limited duration positions to be $204,234 Total Funds [$100,585 General Fund + $15,888 Other Funds + $87,761 Federal Funds].  The fund split is based on the DHS 2019-21 cost allocation for shares services of 50% General Fund, 7% Other Funds and 43% Federal Funds.

Limited Government
Placement of some of Oregon’s most vulnerable children in out-of-state residential facilities, increased steadily and notably between 2011 and 2018, as they were sent away to more than a dozen other states. Out-of-state facilities were not all held to the same standards as in-state facilities; tracking the current location of children, contact with the children, and monitoring their care from a distance was difficult, diminished, and wholly inadequate. As allegations of sustained mistreatment and abuse continued to surface, the Legislative Assembly exercised its oversight authority to shine a light on the threat to children with complicated, specialized needs, and by November 2019, a majority of youth sent out-of-state were returned.