No. CS/CS/CS/SB 560
Filed under Healthcare.
Child Welfare; Providing that a new medical report relating to the provision of psychotropic medication to a child in the legal custody of the Department of Children and Families may be required only under certain circumstances; requiring the department and each community-based care lead agency to coordinate with certain organizations and meet at least quarterly for a specified purpose; requiring a physician to provide to a pharmacy a copy of certain documentation, rather than a signed attestation, with certain prescriptions, etc.
Plain English Summary
AI-GENERATEDFor children in state custody on psychotropic medication, doctors and caseworkers no longer need a brand-new medical report at every review - only when the dosage, medication type, administration method, or prescriber actually changes.
The Department of Children and Families and community-based care agencies must now meet at least quarterly with organizations run by young people who have lived through foster care, and publish the resulting agendas and minutes online.
Family foster homes must now run background screening on any dependent child over 12 living in the home who has direct contact with children in care, closing a gap in who counted as a household member.
Physicians prescribing psychotropic drugs to Medicaid children must now give the pharmacy an actual copy of the signed consent record, not just a separate attestation that consent was documented.
AIA new medical report on a child's psychotropic prescription can be demanded only after a change in dosage, medication type, administration method, or the prescribing physician or nurse - not simply because time has passed or a report is requested on its own.
AIThe Office of Insurance Regulation must study community-based care lead agencies' access to liability insurance and report to the Governor and legislative leaders by January 1, 2027; insurers and agencies that ignore its data requests for 30 days can be fined up to $1,000 per day, but this entire authority repeals on July 1, 2027 unless renewed.
AIDCF and every community-based care lead agency must meet at least quarterly with organizations focused on empowering children with lived foster-care experience, keep a formal agenda, and post that agenda and the meeting minutes on their websites.
AIStarting in 2027, DCF and each lead agency must publish a public report twice a year, by February 1 and August 1, describing how they acted on the input gathered at the required quarterly meetings.
AIScreening requirements for people with contact with children in family foster homes, residential child-caring agencies, and child-placing agencies now also reach dependent children over 12 living in the home, not just adult family members or unrelated residents.
AIA physician prescribing psychotropic medication to a Medicaid child must give the pharmacy an actual copy of the documented parental consent, replacing the previous requirement to instead send a signed attestation that such consent was documented.