1st Sub. S.B. 49
         CHILD WELFARE MODIFICATIONS

House Floor Amendments

Amendment 2 March 13, 2013 9:25 AM



Representative LaVar Christensen proposes the following amendments:

1.    Page 2, Lines 26 through 32 :    

             26          
{   .    beginning July 1, 2014, permits a parent whose rights were terminated, or a relative

             27      of the child, to petition for guardianship of the parent's child if the child is not
             28      adopted within a year of termination, and no adoption is likely to occur, or if the
             29      child's adoptive parents return the child to the custody of the division;
             30          .    requires the division to study options for creating a posttermination of parental
             31      rights system and report the findings to the 2013 Health and Human Services
             32      Interim Committee.   }

2.    Page 2, Lines 38 through 39 :    

             38      Other Special Clauses:
             39          This bill provides effective dates.
    
  This bill provides revisor instructions.      

    
  This bill coordinates with H.B. 156, Restoration of Terminated Parental Rights, by providing superseding amendments.      


3.    Page 2, Line 54 :    

             54          78B-7-202 (Effective 07/01/13), as last amended by Laws of Utah 2012, Chapter 223
  Utah Code Sections Affected by Coordination Clause:

    78A-6-511, as last amended by the Laws of Utah 2012, Chapter 293
    78A-6-513, as last amended by the Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 3       


4.    Page 2, Line 56 :    

             56          
{   78A-2-227.1, Utah Code Annotated 1953   }



5.    Page 3, Line 57 :    

             57          78A-6-511.1, Utah Code Annotated 1953
  Uncodified Material Affected:

AMENDS UNCODIFIED MATERIAL:
Uncodified Section 10, Laws of Utah 2012, Chapter 223

This uncodified section affects Sections 30-3-5.2, 51-9-408, 78A-2-227, 78A-2-228, 78B-3-102, 78B-7-106, 78B-7-106, 78B-7-202, and 78B-15-612.  


6.    Page 10, Line 274 through Page 12, Line 338 :    

             274          
{   78A-2-227.1. Appointment of attorney guardian ad litem in district court matters.

             275          A district court may appoint the Office of Guardian ad Litem to represent the best
             276      interests of a minor in the following district court matters:
             277          (1) protective order proceedings; and
             278          (2) district court actions when:
             279          (a) child abuse, child sexual abuse, or neglect is alleged in a formal complaint, petition,
             280      or counterclaim;
             281          (b) the child abuse, child sexual abuse, or neglect described in Subsection (2)(a) has
             282      been reported to Child Protective Services; and
             283          (c) the court makes a finding that the adult parties to the case are indigent, as defined in
             284      Section 77-32-202 .
             285          (3) (a) A court may not appoint an attorney guardian ad litem in a criminal case.
             286          (b) Subsection (3)(a) does not prohibit the appointment of an attorney guardian ad
             287      litem in a case where a court is determining whether to adjudicate a minor for committing an
             288      act that would be a crime if committed by an adult.
             289          (c) Subsection (3)(a) does not prohibit an attorney guardian ad litem from entering an
             290      appearance, filing motions, or taking other action in a criminal case on behalf of a minor, if:
             291          (i) the attorney guardian ad litem is appointed to represent the minor in a case that is
             292      not a criminal case; and
             293          (ii) the interests of the minor may be impacted by:
             294          (A) an order that has been, or may be, issued in the criminal case; or
             295          (B) other proceedings that have occurred, or may occur, in the criminal case.
             296          (4) If a court appoints an attorney guardian ad litem in a divorce or child custody case,
             297      the court shall:
             298          (a) specify in the order appointing the attorney guardian ad litem the specific issues in
             299      the proceeding that the attorney guardian ad litem is required to be involved in resolving, which
             300      may include issues relating to the custody of children and parent-time schedules;
             301          (b) to the extent possible, bifurcate the issues specified in the order described in
             302      Subsection (4)(a) from the other issues in the case, in order to minimize the time constraints
             303      placed upon the attorney guardian ad litem in the case; and
             304          (c) except as provided in Subsection (6), within one year after the day on which the
             305      attorney guardian ad litem is appointed in the case, issue a final order:
             306          (i) resolving the issues described in the order described in Subsection (4)(a); and
             307          (ii) terminating the appointment of the attorney guardian ad litem in the case.
             308          (5) The court shall issue an order terminating the appointment of an attorney guardian

             309      ad litem made under this section, if:
             310          (a) the court determines that the allegations of abuse or neglect are unfounded;
             311          (b) after receiving input from the attorney guardian ad litem, the court determines that
             312      the children are no longer at risk of abuse or neglect; or
             313          (c) there has been no activity in the case for which the attorney guardian ad litem is
             314      appointed for a period of six consecutive months.
             315          (6) A court may issue a written order extending the one-year period described in
             316      Subsection (4)(c) for a time-certain, if the court makes a written finding that there is a
             317      compelling reason that the court cannot comply with the requirements described in Subsection
             318      (4)(c) within the one-year period.
             319          (7) When appointing an attorney guardian ad litem for a minor under this section, a
             320      court may appoint the same attorney guardian ad litem who represents the minor in another
             321      proceeding, or who has represented the minor in a previous proceeding, if that attorney
             322      guardian ad litem is available.
             323          (8) The court is responsible for all costs resulting from the appointment of an attorney
             324      guardian ad litem and shall use funds appropriated by the Legislature for the guardian ad litem
             325      program to cover those costs.
             326          (9) (a) If the court appoints the Office of Guardian Ad Litem in a civil case pursuant to
             327      this section, the court may assess all or part of those attorney fees, court costs, paralegal, staff,
             328      and volunteer expenses against the minor's parent, parents, or legal guardian in an amount that
             329      the court determines to be just and appropriate.
             330          (b) The court may not assess those fees or costs against a legal guardian, when that
             331      guardian is the state, or against a parent, parents, or legal guardian who is found to be
             332      impecunious. If a person claims to be impecunious, the court shall require of that person an
             333      affidavit of impecuniosity as provided in Section 78A-2-302 and the court shall follow the
             334      procedures and make the determinations as provided in Section 78A-2-302 .
             335          (10) An attorney guardian ad litem appointed in accordance with the requirements of
             336      this section and Chapter 6, Part 9, Guardian Ad Litem, is, when serving in the scope of duties
             337      of an attorney guardian ad litem, considered an employee of this state for purposes of
             338      indemnification under the Governmental Immunity Act.   }

7.    Page 16, Lines 483 through 484 :    

             483      be applied to
{   the Office of Guardian ad Litem to reduce caseloads and improve current

             484      practices.   }
  the private guardian ad litem program.      


8.    Page 36, Lines 1081 through 1082 :    

             1081          (g) order the appointment of a
{   [private attorney]   }        private attorney       guardian ad litem under Section

             1082      [ 78A-2-228 ]
{   78A-2-227.1   }        78A-2-228       , if appropriate;


9.    Page 39, Lines 1178 through 1179 :    

             1178          (4) The court may appoint a
{   [private]   }        private       attorney guardian ad litem under Section

             1179      [ 78A-2-228 ]
{   78A-2-227.1   }        78A-2-228       for district court cases, or the Office of Guardian ad Litem for


10.    Page 39, Lines 1185 through 1187 :    

             1185          
{   (a) Section 78A-6-227.1 ;   }

             1186          
{   (b)   }        (a)       Section 78B-7-106 ; and

             1187          
{   (c)   }        (b)       Section 78A-7-202 .


11.    Page 39, Line 1190 :    

             1190          (b) Section 78A-6-513 .
  Section 15. Revisor instructions.

The Legislature intends that the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, in preparing the Utah Code database for publication, change the effective date in Sections 30-3-5.2, 51-9-408, 78A-2-227, 78A-2-228, 78B-3-102, 78B-7-106, 78B-7-202, and 78B-15-612 from July 1, 2013 to January 1, 2014.  

  Section 16. Coordinating S.B. 49 with H. B. 156 -- Superseding amendments.

If this S.B. 49 and H.B. 156, Restoration of Terminated Parental Rights, both pass and become law, it is the intent of the Legislature that, as of July 1, 2014, the amendments to Sections 78A-6-511 and 78A-6-513 in H.B. 156 supersede the amendments to Section 78A-6-511 and 78A-6-513 in S.B. 49, when the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel prepares the Utah Code database for publication.  

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