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Senate hearing on bill to apply ICWA standards statewide sparks debate over resources, legal standards and child safety
Summary
House Bill 2216 would adopt several procedural and evidentiary protections modeled on the Indian Child Welfare Act—raising the removal evidentiary standard, requiring 'active efforts' rather than 'reasonable efforts', prioritizing placement with relatives and guaranteeing counsel for indigent parents; supporters said the changes protect families,
Senators took testimony on House Bill 2216, a bill that would incorporate elements of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) into the Texas Family Code for all families involved in child welfare cases. Sponsor Senator Sparks described the bill as raising the evidentiary standard for removal, requiring active efforts to prevent removal and to reunify families, prioritizing placement with relatives and guaranteeing automatic counsel for indigent parents when a child is removed.
Proponents argued the bill applies higher procedural protections…
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