I_COYACRev_2019A 09/04/2019 02:01:40 PM Committee Summary

Mr. Schwartz and Ms. Logan presented the first Colorado Youth Advisory Council (COYAC) policy recommendation, concerning a children's budget. Committee members received a summary of the proposal (Attachment A) and a sample children's budget document (Attachment B). Ms. Logan noted that there is no consistent definition of "youth" across state departments and agencies. Mr. Schwartz discussed the benefits of a written children's budget.

Ms. Logan explained that legislating this issue would provide an official record, increasing accountability and reducing bias.

Senator Court discussed the challenge of determining which items to include in the children's budget. She expressed concerns with trying to pull in state education spending. Senators Coram and Todd continued to discuss the scope of the children's budget.

Mr. Schwartz responded to questions from Representative McKean about the goals of the policy recommendation. Ms. Logan suggested that the budget document could be kept to the department level. Committee members discussed the tension between making the document useful but keeping it manageable.

Representative McKean made suggestions for how to continue refining the proposal and asked that it be revisited later in the meeting. Senators Todd, Court, and Coram made additional suggestions.

Mr. Arciniaga presented the second COYAC policy recommendation, youth impact statements. He provided slides on the proposal (Attachment C). He noted that the statements would be limited to two bills, both of which must be submitted by the first (December) bill drafting deadline, at the request of any legislator. He added that this would be more of a pilot process.

Mr. Arciniaga explained the proposed COYAC process for drafting youth impact statements and discussed the benefits of the proposal. He responded to questions about the selected deadlines and logistics of the proposal.

Senator Court discussed her concerns with the use of a youth impact statement and ensuring that the statements are used in a positive way.

Committee members suggested that the proposal could be achieved by COYAC without a bill, by offering to prepare these statements.

The committee's legislative members discussed the proposal. They further discussed how COYAC can best engage with members of the legislature. They suggested that COYAC pursue youth impact statements without legislation and encouraged COYAC to do so.

Mr. Ada and Ms. Shaik presented COYAC's third policy recommendation, regarding youth voice in state agencies.  They provided slides on the topic (Attachment D).  Ms. Shaik discussed the Statewide Youth Development Plan and its emphasis on the positive youth development (PYD) approach.  Two editions of the plan were provided to committee members as part of a packet from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) (Attachment E).

Ms. Shaik and Mr. Ada explained that the proposed bill would mandate PYD training for agencies working with programs that impact youth.  They added that such training would also benefit legislators who work on bills affecting youth.  In response to a question from Representative McKean, Ms. Shaik specified that the proposed bill would target departments that work directly with youth.

Audra Bishop, representing CDPHE, discussed the PYD training CDPHE provides in local communities.  She noted that the program has expanded to the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS).  

Pearl Bell, representing CDHS, noted the divisions of CDHS and the Department of Education that have received the training.

Committee members discussed COYAC's role in assisting agencies, with Senator Todd noting the need for further marketing. The legislative members considered whether the policy proposal would be best achieved by bill.

Senator Court expressed concern with the potential costs of the proposal. Ms. Bell noted that the Statewide Youth Development Plan includes fiscal information about department programming for youth.

Ms. Bishop responded to questions from Senator Court. The committee's legislative members requested staff draft a letter to the Governor requesting the expansion of PYD training in the executive branch.

The committee returned to its discussion of the first policy recommendation. Mr. Schwartz responded to committee concerns, and suggested that a narrower effort focused on a specific topic could help. He expressed support for the committee's suggestion of limiting the topic to youth behavioral health. Senator Court again questioned the necessity of a bill on the proposal.

Ms. Logan suggested that 0-18 be the age range applied to the children's budget proposal. Senator Court suggested that a bill could define an age range for youth in state law. Representative McKean discussed the possibility of legislation adding a reporting requirement regarding state spending on youth.

Mr. Schwartz noted the benefit to COYAC of having a bill come out of the review committee. Legislators on the committee made additional suggestions toward a possible bill draft.

Committee members discussed the useful elements that could be pulled into a bill draft. Representative McKean suggested that a bill be drafted on the topic and brought for further discussion at the committee's next meeting. Mr. Schwartz, Ms. Logan, Mr. Arciniaga, and Ms. Shaik responded to the discussion. They noted the value of committee action but added that any bills proposed should be bills the committee cares about and fully supports.

Senator Court noted that the bill draft would need to be further clarified and refined. Discussion continued on the bill's potential fiscal note.

Senator Todd suggested that committee members review COYAC's statute and consider changes to make COYAC more effective in the future.

Jacob Baus and Conrad Imel, Office of Legislative Legal Services, reminded the committee that this meeting is the only one at which bill drafts can be requested. Mr. Baus added that bill sponsors would need to provide additional details on any requested bill drafts within three days.

Mr. Baus provided a list of questions about the possible bill on a youth behavioral health budget. He responded to a question from Senator Coram about other ways to require reporting, perhaps within SMART Act reporting. Representative McKean explained the SMART Act to the student committee members.

Committee members discussed the start date for reporting and the level of detail that would be provided in the budget document. They discussed the reporting department, flexibility in their selections of what to report, and the age of youth to be included.

Representative McKean made a motion to draft a bill incorporating reporting on state behavioral health spending for school age children into SMART Act hearings. Senator Court seconded the motion. The motion failed on a vote of 2-2. Voting yes: Senator Court, Representative McKean. Voting no: Senator Coram, Senator Todd.

Representative McKean suggested that Mr. Schwartz and Ms. Logan prepare a memo to the committee explaining their proposal. The committee discussed the agenda for their October 18 meeting.

Jeanette Chapman, Legislative Council Staff, presented information to the committee about the COYAC staff support request for proposals (RFP). Committee members received an early draft RFP (Attachment F).

Committee members discussed the proposal and agreed to interview potential vendors at the October 18 meeting.

Julia Jackson, Legislative Council Staff, discussed COYAC's sunset review schedule and noted the current vendor, Engaged Public.

The committee agreed to start the October 18 meeting at 1pm.