75th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2009 Regular Session
Enrolled
Senate Bill 630
Sponsored by Senator CARTER; Senators BURDICK, DEVLIN,
DINGFELDER, HASS, METSGER, MONNES ANDERSON, MONROE, MORRISETTE,
PROZANSKI, ROSENBAUM, SCHRADER, VERGER
CHAPTER ................
AN ACT
Relating to disproportionality in child welfare foster care; and
declaring an emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. { + (1) There is created the Task Force on
Disproportionality in Child Welfare Foster Care. The purposes of
the task force are to study the reasons for the percentage
difference between the number of children of certain racial or
ethnic backgrounds in the child welfare foster care system
compared to the number of those children in the general
population, and to address the disproportionality.
(2) The task force consists of 21 members and includes a
majority of members from minority populations, including but not
limited to minorities listed in ORS 430.347. The members shall be
appointed as follows:
(a) The President of the Senate shall appoint one member from
among members of the Senate.
(b) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint
one member from among members of the House of Representatives.
(c) The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall appoint one
member from the Judicial Department.
(d) The Director of Human Services shall appoint 18 members as
follows:
(A) One representative of the State Commission on Children and
Families;
(B) One representative of the education community;
(C) One representative of the Oregon Youth Authority from a
list of persons submitted by the Director of the Oregon Youth
Authority;
(D) One representative of the Refugee Child Welfare Advisory
Committee;
(E) One representative of a community mental health program or
an alcohol or drug treatment program;
(F) Three representatives of the general public, at least one
of whom is African-American and one of whom is Native American;
(G) One representative of the Oregon University System;
(H) Three representatives of child advocacy groups from a list
of persons submitted by child advocacy groups;
(I) Two representatives of a minority population, each of whom
is or has been a foster parent of a child in the child welfare
foster care system;
Enrolled Senate Bill 630 (SB 630-INTRO) Page 1
(J) One representative of the Public Defense Services
Commission or of attorneys who represent parents or children in
juvenile dependency proceedings;
(K) One representative of a federally recognized Oregon Tribal
Child Welfare program;
(L) One representative of a law enforcement agency; and
(M) One representative of the advisory committee on child
welfare services created under ORS 418.005.
(3) The task force shall study the reasons for, and develop a
plan to reduce, the disproportionality of minorities in the child
welfare foster care system.
(4) The task force may:
(a) Set specific goals to reduce the disproportionality of
minorities in the child welfare foster care system;
(b) Study, assess and recommend strategies to enhance
recruitment and retention efforts at the state and local levels
to increase minority representation among foster parents,
caseworkers, supervisors and managers in the child welfare foster
care system;
(c) Collect and analyze data to better assess the current and
future concerns regarding the disproportionality of minorities in
the child welfare foster care system;
(d) Assess and make recommendations concerning the reduction of
the disproportionality of minorities in the child welfare foster
care system;
(e) Assess and make recommendations concerning staff and
community partner training to reduce the disproportionality of
minorities in the child welfare foster care system; and
(f) Assess and make recommendations that will assist in
preventing the disproportionality of minorities in the child
welfare foster care system.
(5) The task force shall elect one of its members to serve as
chairperson.
(6) If there is a vacancy for any cause, the appointing
authority shall make an appointment to become immediately
effective.
(7) The task force shall meet at times and places specified by
the call of the chairperson or of a majority of the members of
the task force.
(8) The task force may adopt rules necessary for the operation
of the task force.
(9) Notwithstanding ORS 171.072, members of the task force who
are members of the Legislative Assembly are not entitled to
mileage expenses or a per diem and serve as volunteers on the
task force. Other members of the task force are not entitled to
compensation or reimbursement for expenses and serve as
volunteers on the task force.
(10) The task force shall submit a report that may include
recommendations for legislation to an interim committee of the
Legislative Assembly related to human services no later than
October 1, 2010.
(11) The Department of Human Services shall provide staff
support to the task force.
(12) All agencies of state government, as defined in ORS
174.111, are directed to assist the task force in the performance
of its duties and, to the extent permitted by laws relating to
confidentiality, to furnish such information and advice as the
members of the task force consider necessary to perform their
duties. + }
Enrolled Senate Bill 630 (SB 630-INTRO) Page 2
SECTION 2. { + Section 1 of this 2009 Act is repealed on the
date of the convening of the next regular biennial legislative
session. + }
SECTION 3. { + This 2009 Act being necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency
is declared to exist, and this 2009 Act takes effect on its
passage. + }
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Passed by Senate June 16, 2009
...........................................................
Secretary of Senate
...........................................................
President of Senate
Passed by House June 22, 2009
...........................................................
Speaker of House
Enrolled Senate Bill 630 (SB 630-INTRO) Page 3
Received by Governor:
......M.,............., 2009
Approved:
......M.,............., 2009
...........................................................
Governor
Filed in Office of Secretary of State:
......M.,............., 2009
...........................................................
Secretary of State
Enrolled Senate Bill 630 (SB 630-INTRO) Page 4