HB440 Alabama 2017 Session

Under existing law, there is no provision for the state to license or regulate private religious or faith-based facilities, alternative boarding schools, outdoor programs, or residential institutions that house children for counseling, therapeutic, behavioral, or educational purposes when on-site residency is required for periods over 24 hours.

This bill would provide for the registration and regulation by the Department of Human Resources of any private religious or faith-based organization that houses children for counseling, therapeutic, behavioral, or educational purposes when on-site residency is required for periods over 24 hours. This bill would require the Department of Human Resources to promulgate rules establishing registration and regulatory requirements.

This bill would establish accountability for any child enrolled in or housed at any private religious or faith-based organization that houses children for counseling, therapeutic, behavioral, or educational purposes when on-site residency is required for periods over 24 hours.

This bill would establish minimum requirements for operation of any private religious or faith-based organization that houses children for counseling, therapeutic, behavioral, or educational purposes when on-site residency is required for periods over 24 hours.

This bill would require an employee, volunteer, or applicant for employment or for a volunteer position at such a facility to undergo a criminal background investigation prior to having unsupervised contact with the children.

This bill would establish fees and charges associated with the registration of such facilities.

This bill would prohibit the operation of any youth residential facility, institution, or program in the state under this act unless the entity holds a current registration approval from the Department of Human Resources.

Relating to private religious or faith-based nonprofit and for profit alternative boarding schools, outdoor programs, or residential institutions that house children for counseling, therapeutic, behavioral, or educational purposes when on-site residency of children is required for periods over 24 hours; to establish registration and regulatory requirements; to establish accountability for children enrolled at or housed by private religious or faith-based facilities, institutions, and programs that house children for periods of over 24 hours; to require an employee, volunteer, or applicant for employment or a volunteer position to undergo a criminal background investigation prior to having unsupervised contact with children; to establish a provision for fees and charges associated with the registration and regulation of these facilities; and to prohibit the operation of any youth residential facility, institution, or program in the state under this act unless the entity holds a current registration approval from the Department of Human Resources.