House Bill 984

Chair's Name: Judy Manning

Committee: Children & Youth

House Sponsor: Clay Cox

HB 984 provides for “Children’s transition care centers” which can provide temporary care in a home-like setting for medically fragile children. These centers would provide transitional care to these children for up to 90 days (or up to 12 months with a department waiver) until an appropriate permanent setting is available. These care centers can serve no more that 6 children per residence or 16 per campus. These centers will be separate from other DHR licensed facilities and will be available to all families within the state.

This committee substitute comes to the Floor under the Modified Structured Rule.

Chairman Manning’s Opinion of the legislation:

This bill provides the executive branch with another method of offering care to medically fragile children. If they choose to license these facilities, medically fragile children will have an alternative transitional care facility to utilize. This will meet the need for a less expensive alternative for children that need to be in a transitional facility.  These beds are less costly than ICU beds at transitional hospitals and would offer more individualized care.