Joint Budget Committee. Current law authorizes the department
of human services to establish and collect a fee for background checks for child abuse or neglect (background checks). That fee then is required to cover the direct and indirect costs of the background check and the direct and indirect costs of administering the appeals process and release of information for a person who is found to be responsible in a confirmed report of child abuse or neglect (appeals processes). The bill eliminates the requirement that the fee for background checks cover the direct and indirect costs associated with the appeals processes.
