Audit: States Lose Track of Thousands of Foster Children Annually

Audit: States Lose Track of Thousands of Foster Children Annually

The Department of Health and Human Services published a report earlier this year entitled State Agencies Did Not Always Ensure That Children Missing From Foster Care Were Reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Accordance with Federal Requirements. The report lists missing children episodes sampled by state for 46 states. The audit concludes that, “on the basis of our sample results, we estimated that the state agencies did not report 51,115 (69 percent) of the 74,353 missing children episodes in accordance with federal requirements.” The Office of Inspector General made several recommendations based on the report.

AI’s Federal Guidelines: Impacts on State Government

A November webinar from Government Technology examines the impacts of the federal government’s recent AI executive order on state and local governments. The webinar lists multiple impacts on government, including data privacy and regulatory oversight. AI’s Federal Framework: What It Means for State and Local Government also features how each state approaches AI.

State Occupational Licensing Index: New Mexico

The 2023 State Occupational Licensing Index ranks states by the number of occupations licensed. In the 2023 SOLI, New Mexico ranks 24th nationally—with 1^st the most burdensome. New Mexico makes it illegal to work in 184 of the 331 occupations, five more than the national average. Of the 184 occupations, 21 occupations remain licensed in 20 states or fewer nationally; New Mexico is one of only two states to issue a separate license for a naprapathic physician.