VOLUNTARY HOME VISITATION PROGRAMS                                              H.B. 5572 (S-2):

                                                                                                      FLOOR SUMMARY

House Bill 5572 (Substitute S-2 as reported by the Committee of the Whole)

Sponsor:  Representative Lisa Posthumus Lyons

House Committee:  Families, Children, and Seniors

Senate Committee:  Families, Seniors and Human Services

CONTENT

The bill would create a new statute to do the following:

-- Allow the Department of Community Health (DCH), the Department of Human Services (DHS), and the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) to support certain home visitation programs.

-- Specify standards for supported home visitation programs.

-- Require that supported home visitation programs be either evidence-based programs or promising programs, and establish criteria for each of those types of programs.

-- Specify that the proposed statute would not apply to certain programs.

-- Require the DCH, DHS, and MDE to develop internal processes to collaborate and share relevant information.

-- Require State agencies that authorized funds used for home visitation to include language regarding home visitation in contracts or funding agreements.

-- Require the DCH, DHS, and MDE to submit an annual report to certain legislative Appropriations subcommittees, the State Budget Director, and the Senate and House Fiscal Agencies.

"Home visitation" would be defined as a voluntary service delivery strategy that is carried out in relevant settings, primarily in the homes of families with children ages zero to five years and pregnant women.

Supported home visitation programs would have to do one or more of the following:

-- Work to improve maternal, infant, or child health outcomes including reducing preterm births.

-- Promote positive parenting practices.

-- Build healthy parent and child relationships.

-- Enhance social-emotional development.

-- Support cognitive development of children.

-- Improve the health of the family.

-- Empower families to be self-sufficient.

-- Reduce child maltreatment and injury.

-- Increase school readiness.

                                                                            Legislative Analyst:  Patrick Affholter

FISCAL IMPACT

Through the Children's Trust Fund grants, the DHS provides some indirect support for voluntary home visitation programs.  In order to fully implement the provisions of the bill,

the DHS could be required to revise the grant guidelines. The extent to which the grant guidelines currently follow the restrictions in the bill would determine the changes needed.  The Children's Trust Fund could realize some minor administrative costs to revise the guidelines and update contracts.   

Additionally, the DHS provides home visitation services through its family support programs for families that are in the child welfare system.  Some of the participants are in the program on a voluntary basis, but in many cases, the parents are required to participate in the programs as a condition of family reunification.  To the extent that the programs are voluntary, the bill could result in some administrative costs to revise current contracts and policies.

The DCH is already subject to boilerplate language that directs that at least 50% of funds allocated for voluntary in-home visiting services be used for programs such as those described in the bill.  There are a number of DCH programs that are affected by the boilerplate and would be affected by the bill's provisions, including the Nurse Family Partnership and various Federal home visitation grants.  As the legislation would not affect specific funding amounts, there would not be a programmatic fiscal impact on the DCH.

The DHS, DCH, and MDE would be required to develop internal processes for data collection and would have to report the information to the Legislature.  These requirements would impose minor administrative costs on the Departments.

Date Completed:  6-12-12                                                 Fiscal Analyst:  Steve Angelotti

                                                                                                         Frances Carley

                                                                                                         Cameron Mock

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.