New Hampshire SB 142: establishing the department of children's services and juvenile justice.

Bill Text

SB 142-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2025 SESSION

 25-1043

 07/11

SENATE BILL 142-FN

AN ACT establishing the department of children's services and juvenile justice.

SPONSORS: Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. Sullivan, Dist 18; Rep. Rice, Hills. 38

COMMITTEE: Judiciary

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ANALYSIS

 This bill establishes the department of children's services and juvenile justice and transfers the powers and duties of the department of health and human services, division for children youth and families to the new department.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

 Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 25-1043

 07/11

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five

AN ACT establishing the department of children's services and juvenile justice.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 Transfer of Functions, Powers, and Duties, from the Department of Health and Human Services, Division for Children, Youth and Families to the Department of Children's Services and Juvenile Justice. All the functions, powers, duties, personnel, records, property, programs, operations, and funds of the department of health and human services, division for children, youth and families relative to children's services and juvenile justice provided under RSA 161:2, II-IV, 161:2, XII, 161:2, XVII, 169-A, 169-B, 169-C, 169-D, 169-E, 169-F, 169-G, 170-A, 170-B, 170-C, 170-E, 170-G, 170-H, 126-D, 126-G, 621, and 621-A are hereby transferred to the department of children's services and juvenile justice established in this act and vested in the commissioner of that department. 

 2 Transfer of Functions, Powers, and Duties from the Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Children’s Behavioral Health to the Department of Children’s Services and Juvenile Justice. All the functions, powers, duties, personnel, records, property, programs, operations, and funds of the department of health and human services, bureau of children’s behavioral health provided under RSA 135-F and 135-C, relative to children's behavioral health and children’s psychiatric services are hereby transferred to the department of children's services and juvenile justice established in this act and vested in the commissioner of that department. 

 3 New Chapter; Department of Children's Services and Juvenile Justice. Amend RSA by inserting after chapter 21-V the following new chapter: 

CHAPTER 21-W 

DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN'S SERVCES AND JUVENILE JUSTICE 

 21-W:1 Purpose; Intent. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a unified, statewide administration of programs and services for children and youth, including child protection, foster care, adoption, children in need of services, juvenile justice, residential services, residential care, and all related administrative functions. 

 21-W:2 Definitions. In this chapter: 

 I. "Commissioner" means the commissioner of the department of children's services and juvenile justice. 

 II. "Department" means the department of children's services and juvenile justice. 

 21-W:3 Department Established; General Functions. 

 I. There is hereby established the department of children's services and juvenile justice, an agency of the state, under the executive direction of a commissioner of the department of children's services and juvenile justice. 

 II. The department of children's services and juvenile justice, through its officials, shall be responsible for the following functions: 

 (a) Statewide administration and enforcement of programs and services for children and youth. Such programs and services shall be organized into the following 4 divisions: 

 (1) Administration support, including but not limited to program certification, rate setting, rate review, quality assurance, human resources, communications, IT, and support for other divisions. 

 (2) Child welfare, including adoption, foster care, child day care licensing, and children in need of services. 

 (3) Juvenile justice. 

 (4) Children’s behavioral health services, including but not limited to residential services, including secure facilities and residential care programs. 

 (b) Administration and oversight of the juvenile parole board pursuant to RSA 170-H, the child welfare advisory board, the interstate compact for juveniles, pursuant to RSA 169-A, the interstate compact on the placement of children pursuant to RSA 170-A, and the compact for hard to place children, pursuant to RSA 126-D. 

 21-W:4 Commissioner; Compensation. 

 I. The commissioner of the department of children's services and juvenile justice s