Summary — HB 6000
AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT — LICENSING AND MONITORING OF CHILD PLACING AGENCIES, CHILD CARING AGENCIES, FOSTER AND ADOPTIVE HOMES, AND CHILDREN’S BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAMS
Date introduced: February 28, 2025 (RI House)
Primary sponsors: Reps. Hopkins, Place, Roberts, J. Brien, Bennett, Perez, Chippendale
Committee: Referred to House Finance; 04/24/2025 — committee recommended measure be held for further study.
Effective date: Upon passage (per bill text)
Purpose
- To amend the state licensing/monitoring statute for child-placing and child-caring agencies and related programs, primarily by requiring out‑of‑state foster care placement facilities to be registered with the State Medical Assistance Program as Medicaid providers, with a limited emergency waiver option.
Key provisions
- Retains and restates existing departmental powers and regulatory scope for licensing, monitoring, investigations, rulemaking, appeals to family court, and technical assistance related to:
- Child-placing agencies, child caring agencies, foster and adoptive homes, and children’s behavioral health programs.
- Standards including financial/organizational stability, fire/safety and health compliance, staff qualifications and ratios, recordkeeping, placement procedures, criminal background checks, program activities, and family services.
- New/changed provision (subsection (e)(11)):
- All out-of-state foster care placement facilities must be registered with the State Medical Assistance Program as a Medicaid provider to receive placements.
- The director may waive this Medicaid registration requirement on a case-by-case basis if there is an emergency need for placement and no registered Medicaid provider is available.
- Confirms the department’s authority to adopt regulations to allow placement of pregnant minors in group residential facilities serving pregnant adults.
- Maintains Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) responsibility for investigating alleged abuse/neglect at daycare/childcare facilities and retains family court jurisdiction over appeals of investigative findings.
Who would be affected
- Out‑of‑state foster care placement facilities (new requirement to register as Rhode Island Medicaid providers).
- Children in state custody and their families (potentially affected by placement availability and provider eligibility).
- Rhode Island DCYF and Department administration (responsibility for verifying provider registration, processing waivers, and enforcement).
- Medicaid program administration (additional provider enrollments and oversight).
- In-state and contracted placement providers (possible shifts in placement patterns or provider reimbursement flows).
Potential impacts and considerations
- Administrative burden: Out‑of‑state facilities may need to enroll in Rhode Island’s Medicaid program, which can be time-consuming and may require meeting RI-specific provider requirements.
- Placement capacity: If out‑of‑state providers do not register, the pool of available placements could shrink, potentially increasing reliance on emergency waivers or local placements.
- Fiscal/reimbursement effects: Registering as Medicaid providers affects how services are billed and reimbursed; this could alter costs for the state Medicaid program and providers.
- Emergency waiver: The director’s waiver authority provides flexibility in urgent placement situations but is discretionary and limited to cases where no Medicaid provider is available.
- Legal/regulatory alignment: Implementation may require administrative guidance and coordination with federal Medicaid rules and interstate provider credentialing processes.
Procedural status
- Introduced 02/28/2025; referred to House Finance.
- 04/24/2025: Committee recommended holding the measure for further study (no further action reported).
