While the Alaska Legislature has been consumed by the need to address the state’s $4 billion budget gap, it has still managed to find time to address other issues.
On Tuesday, before passing a compromise budget plan to avert a government shutdown, the Alaska Senate gave its imprimatur to a bill easing adoption for Alaska Natives and another that promises better support for foster children. Both bills had been previously approved by the House and now advance to the governor.
House Bill 27 is the sole piece of legislation proposed by a Democrat to advance from the House this year. The Senate approved it unanimously on Tuesday. It passed the House in April.
Introduced by Rep. Les Gara, D-Anchorage, it requires the Alaska Office of Children’s Services to recruit foster and adoptive parents; OCS to keep looking for a home until a foster youth is 21; and encourages OCS to reduce the number of times a foster youth moves from one school to another.
“The Legislature came together to increase the chances that our 2,900 foster youth get a fair shake in life,” Gara said in a prepared statement. “House Bill 27, and the additional help in the budget, will make sure we do better than perpetuate neglect for too many youth. We need to perpetuate love and stability for youth who face too many roadblocks to success.”
[Number of foster children in Alaska at a record high.]
House Bill 200, introduced by the governor’s office, consolidates legal proceedings involving foster children. By having only one judge consider all aspects of a foster care case, individual cases should progress move quickly.
Family members will be more involved in foster care cases, and the bill implements portions of the Indian Child Welfare Act that allow members of the same Alaska Native tribe to have preferential adoption privileges.
[Historic agreement gives tribe foster care control.]
In a prepared statement, Gov. Bill Walker thanked lawmakers for passing the bills that he added to the special session agenda alongside budget items.
“I added these two bills to the special session call because protecting Alaska’s children is absolutely critical,” he said. “I thank members of the Alaska Legislature for the work they have done in recent years to stand up for our children, and am pleased we were able to get these two pieces of legislation across the finish line this year.”
