House amends law on parental-rights termination — extends timeline from 24 to 36 months

The House on Monday adopted a change to pending legislation on grounds for termination of parental rights that increases a time threshold from 24 months to 36 months in specified circumstances.

Representative Bratton moved second-reading amendment number 3 to Senate File 22 to replace 24 months with 36 months. Bratton said the change "deletes 24 months and it inserts 36 months" to allow more time before termination is pursued in especially difficult family cases.

Supporters of the change said the additional year can provide greater opportunity for reunification and addresses concerns about grandparents and other relatives who are raising children. Representative Provenza said research favors efforts to keep children with birth parents when possible and that more time may improve reunification outcomes. Representative Ottman described a personal experience as a grandparent involved in kinship caregiving and urged protections for relatives.

Opponents said the court must already determine a parent is "unfit" before termination is considered, and that faster permanency can benefit children. Representative Walsh, chairing a relevant committee, reminded the body that a judicial finding of parental unfitness is required before termination and argued that children also need timely permanency.

The amendment passed on a recorded vote of 36 ayes to 23 nays. Earlier in the day the House adopted another committee-deletion amendment (second-reading amendment number 2) related to appropriations and crisis-bed language; that amendment passed 55–5.

Ending: Senate File 22 will proceed to third reading after the House's floor actions. The adopted 36-month time frame applies in the statutory contexts amended by the bill; judges retain the role of finding parental unfitness as a prerequisite to termination under state law.