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Heated House debate on child‑welfare bill centers on Guardian ad Litem rules and presumption of caregiver responsibility
Summary
Debate on House Bill 140 focused on the Guardian ad Litem office, due process for parents, a statutory presumption about responsibility for child abuse (78‑38‑305.1), and whether to change the termination‑of‑parental‑rights standard — a change tied to a fiscal note of about $113,000.
Representative Levar Christiansen introduced first substitute House Bill 140, describing it as a streamlined bill centered on performance review of the Guardian ad Litem office and targeted study of due‑process questions in child welfare proceedings.
Christiansen told the House the bill would commission a performance audit of the Guardian ad Litem office, review caseloads and consider due‑process safeguards and alternatives such as jury trials. He said the bill intentionally removed material addressed by other bills to keep it focused. "The main focus is on the Guardian…
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