Committee hears bill to allow caseworkers to witness consents to adoption in rural Nevada

The Nevada Assembly Judiciary Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 4, which would amend NRS 127.053 to allow a caseworker employed by an authorized agency to serve as one of the required witnesses to a parent’s consent to adoption in lieu of a licensed social worker. Committee Chair Miller opened the hearing in Carson City with remote participation from Las Vegas and closed the hearing after supporters testified; no committee vote was taken.

The bill was presented by Betsy Krumrein, deputy administrator for child welfare for the Division of Child and Family Services, who told the committee the current statute requires two disinterested witnesses and that one witness must be a social worker. Krumrein said that requirement has produced “a hardship for the division given the number of small offices in rural areas,” and that extending witness authority to caseworkers would avoid having to reschedule consents and could prevent delays in permanency for children.

Krumrein said the division purposely crafted the change narrowly to add “caseworker” rather than a broader term such as “agency” or “provider,” because the division views this as still a function of a social worker or caseworker. She told the committee that without the change, staff shortages in small rural offices could force families to delay signing consents or require staff to travel or locate an unaffiliated witness, which she said could delay permanency “by several months.”

Support for the bill was offered on the record by Joanna Jacob on behalf of Clark County and by Cadence Matejevich on behalf of Washoe County. No members of the public testified in opposition or neutral. The hearing was opened and closed with no formal action recorded.

If enacted, the bill would alter how NRS 127.053 is applied in rural child welfare offices by expanding the pool of authorized witnesses for consents to adoption to include caseworkers employed by authorized agencies. The Division of Child and Family Services said the change is intended to reduce administrative barriers that can delay a child’s transition to a permanent home.

The committee did not take a vote during the hearing; the bill’s next steps will depend on subsequent committee scheduling and any amendments that may be proposed.