House adopts new ground for terminating parental rights to aid guardians seeking adoption after prolonged parental absence

Senate File 22 — a proposal to add a new ground for termination of parental rights to help guardians (often grandparents) adopt children who have lived with them for extended periods — passed the Committee of the Whole after floor amendments and debate.

Representative Chastick, speaking for the bill, said the change addresses a “growing problem” in which grandparents and other relatives care for children while biological parents cycle in and out of substance abuse or instability. The bill adds a tenth category allowing termination of parental rights where a child has been in the care of a relative who has been appointed guardian and has physically cared for the child for 24 consecutive months and the court finds the parent unfit.

Supporters said the measure fills a gap in current law that makes it difficult for relatives who have provided long‑term, stable homes to adopt. Representative Volley, sponsor of a Committee‑of‑the‑Whole amendment, said the measure contains due process safeguards and does not allow removal without court proceedings. “This isn't a quick way to really, just take some kids away. It has the normal processes, but what we found… is that there is this sort of gap in the law where they don't have standing really to come in and start a process to address the issue,” Volley said.

Opponents urged caution because termination of parental rights is permanent and carries a high constitutional standard. Representatives Yin and Bratton said the bar for severing parental rights should remain very high and questioned whether existing statutory provisions — including the current list of nine grounds — are adequate and properly applied by courts. Representative Bratton also noted there is an existing statutory provision (one‑year abandonment ground) and asked why that was insufficient in the cases presented to committee; proponents said practical experience showed courts and guardians still faced hurdles.

The House adopted several Committee‑of‑the‑Whole amendments, including clarifying who qualifies as a relative for purposes of the new ground and rejecting certain appropriation amendments that had been proposed but defeated on the floor. The Committee of the Whole reported the bill do pass; the floor later recorded that “Senate file 22 has passed the Committee of the Whole.”