The Senate Committee on Human Services opened a public hearing on Senate Bill 741, which would require the Department of Human Services to adopt a compensation rate structure for foster‑home resource parents that ensures appropriate reimbursement for the needs of children in care and prescribes required components of that rate model.

Sponsors said the bill implements recommendations from the federal court’s special master in the Wyatt temporary lodging litigation and from an expert study led by Dr. Marti Beyer. The proposal asks the department to construct a rate model with a base rate tied to an age‑banded benchmark (birth‑5, 6‑12, 13+) and to set a goal in the bill of a base rate equal to 90% of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s estimate of the cost to raise a child. The bill would also require reimbursement of actual transportation costs for DHS‑required activities, childcare reimbursement capped at the Child Support Division’s cap, and up to 16 hours per month of respite‑care reimbursement to support caregiver breaks.

Committee members pressed for detail about the fiscal impact and enforcement. Senators asked whether putting a 90% benchmark in statute could prompt litigation if the Legislature or department did not reach that target. A staff presenter noted the USDA cost estimate quoted in committee documents is dated to 2015 dollars; the presenter also said the governor’s current budget includes a separate $70‑per‑month increase for foster families.

Witnesses and committee members described the policy rationale: proponents said better compensation and predictable add‑ons could expand and stabilize the pool of resource parents, reduce placement instability and decrease reliance on more costly institutional or out‑of‑state placements. Committee members noted the department did not send a representative to the hearing and requested that agency analysis and cost estimates be provided before further action.

The hearing closed with no committee vote; sponsors said they plan to return with refined language and cost figures and to work with the department and ways‑and‑means staff on funding mechanics.