SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 29
(By Senators Kessler, Helmick, Prezioso, Boley, McKenzie, Unger,
Dempsey, McCabe and Foster)
Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance continue
the Legislative Task Force on Juvenile Foster Care, Detention
and Placement as the Juvenile Task Force.
Whereas, There are currently 3,000 West Virginia children
placed in foster care with more than 400 West Virginia children in
out-of-state placements and 300 in facilities operated by the
Division of Juvenile Services; and
Whereas, The state's Child Protective Services Program is
under federal mandate to make improvements and is at serious risk
of substantial financial penalties for failure to improve
children's safety, permanency and well-being in the child welfare
system; and
Whereas, The Division of Juvenile Services has, through
renovation and new construction, acquired more than 200 new beds in
six facilities over the last four years; and
Whereas, There are ongoing and continuing efforts involving
state agencies, families and private providers to address these and
other vital issues affecting our state's children; and
Whereas, The existing Legislative Task Force on Juvenile
Foster Care, Detention and Placement is the only legislative body that deals exclusively with matters relating to child welfare and
juvenile justice; and
Whereas, There is an acute and urgent need for ongoing
legislative oversight of these matters and legislative members
could benefit from the shared knowledge of additional nonvoting
citizen members chosen for their particular backgrounds and
expertise; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby
requested to continue the Legislative Task Force on Juvenile Foster
Care, Detention and Placement as the Juvenile Task Force; and, be
it
Further Resolved, That the Juvenile Task Force conduct ongoing
oversight of the state's child welfare and juvenile justice
systems; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Juvenile Task Force increase its
membership by adding two nonvoting citizen members, one to be
chosen by the Speaker of the House of Delegates and one to be
chosen by the President of the Senate, with the members having the
same right of per diem expense reimbursement to which legislators
are entitled; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Juvenile Task Force report annually
to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance on its findings,
conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to carry out its
duties, to prepare its reports and to draft necessary legislation
be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on
Government and Finance.
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