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House narrows routine use of Guardian ad Litem office, citing savings and re-focus
Summary
House Bill 357 passed the House to limit routine assignment of the Office of Guardian ad Litem in district court and divorce cases, focusing GAL resources on juvenile court work; sponsor said the change yields about $400,000 in internal savings and enables enhanced training.
The Utah House on Feb. 28 approved House Bill 357 to change when the state Office of Guardian ad Litem (GAL) must be assigned. Representative Levar Christiansen, sponsor, said the bill reflects the GAL office's request to focus limited public resources on juvenile court cases where independent legal representation is most often needed.
Christiansen told the House the bill narrows the routine use of state GAL resources in district court and divorce cases, relying instead on private GAL resources on a case-by-case basis when a judge determines the appointment is necessary. He said the office estimates roughly $400,000 in internal savings and intends to use the change to enhance training for GAL attorneys.
Opponents, including Representative Cosgrove and Representative Chavez-Houck, raised concerns about privatizing representation, training consistency and access for low-income families. Cosgrove asked how poor families would obtain representation if the state relied more on private GAL resources; Chavez-Houck highlighted compensation and training concerns for private GALs.
Christiansen responded that the office of GAL asked for these changes and that the bill preserves juvenile-court GAL coverage while reducing routine assignment in other cases to avoid diluting resources. After debate, HB 357 passed the House 58–12 and will be transmitted to the Senate.
