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Bill would let third parties and caregivers offer evidence in abuse and neglect adjudications
Summary
Senate Bill 249 would require Montana courts to hear evidence offered by individuals who have cared for a child in abuse-and-neglect proceedings, removing a statutory gate tied to allegations of abandonment.
Senate Bill 249, introduced Feb. 12 by Sen. Dennis Lance, would revise Montana’s child-abuse-and-neglect adjudication statutes to ensure courts hear evidence from third-party caregivers and others who have provided care for a child when adjudicating abuse or neglect matters. The sponsor said the bill strikes language that currently ties the court’s obligation to hear offered evidence to cases where abandonment is alleged.
Proponents told the committee the change would allow foster parents, grandparents and other caregivers to…
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