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Committee to study access to family forensic evaluators and regional capacity under proposed working group
Summary
Members discussed language in S.109 to form a study (H.36) of family forensic evaluators, focusing on regional capacity, quality standards, workforce risks and possible strategies to increase availability for contested family-court cases.
The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony on a proposed study to review family forensic evaluators' availability and practices in family-court cases.
Representative sponsors described H.36 as a response to practitioner reports that forensic evaluators are scarce in some regions and that the work carries professional risk for psychologists and evaluators asked to assess contentious family dynamics. The proposed study would look at regional availability, training and credentialing, potential funding options and whether Vermont should create incentives to expand the evaluator pool.
Witnesses said forensic evaluators are often valuable in complex cases because a neutral third party can help courts assess potential harms to children and make well-informed decisions. Committee members suggested the study should survey other states for models of funding and practice standards and consider whether the judiciary or another agency needs dedicated resources to pay for evaluations in indigent cases.
No vote was taken on H.36 during the S.109 hearing; committee members indicated they support a working group to investigate the issue and asked staff to include the item for further testimony and drafting.
