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Committee shortens timeline for permanency-review hearings to every three months
Summary
Lawmakers amended and advanced SB 27-71 to revise permanency-review timelines so reviews occur every three months (90 days); members said courts requested the change to create a single consistent review cadence.
The Judiciary Division A committee advanced Senate Bill 27-71 with an amendment replacing multiple timelines with a single three-month review cadence for permanency hearings in juvenile cases.
Senator Boyd described the amendment as aligning review schedules across age groups so judges and parties can assess progress at regular three-month intervals. "They thought really going down to this 90 days really kind of set a better standard for everybody to kind of know this," Senator Boyd said, adding that judges would be assessing progress and not automatically ruling on permanency at the review dates. Committee discussion recalled previous concerns that shorter timelines could lead to parents losing rights before learning of proceedings; those concerns had driven prior longer timelines in earlier versions of the law. Committee members said youth court judges recommended the uniform 90-day reviews to reduce confusion caused when children cross age thresholds that changed the review clock.
After discussion the committee approved the amendment, set the bill as amended, and advanced the committee substitute by voice vote.
