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House passes Child Welfare Reform Act to raise evidentiary standards and expand legal representation
Summary
Substitute H.B. 265 passed the House 72‑2 after sponsors said it raises evidentiary thresholds at removal and dispositional hearings, prioritizes kinship placements, funds Guardian ad Litem services, and adds judicial and legal capacity for child‑welfare cases.
Representative Hayman, sponsor of substitute H.B. 265, framed the bill as a comprehensive overhaul of how the state handles children at risk, emphasizing timelines for permanency, due process protections, and supports for kinship and foster placements. "This bill is one of the great lightning rods in our society," Hayman said, outlining steps from initial reports and shelter hearings through dispositional and permanency decisions.
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