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Alabama CASA urges committee to codify volunteer advocate role; committee carries bill
Summary
Alabama CASA state program manager Bob Maddox told the committee SB296 would establish statutory authority for CASA and clarify juvenile‑court volunteer advocacy; the committee opted to carry the bill over for technical tweaks and did not vote.
Bob Maddox, state program manager for Alabama CASA Network Inc., told the Senate Judiciary Committee that SB296 seeks to codify the statutory framework for Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers and to clarify juvenile court authority to appoint and oversee volunteer advocates. Maddox said CASA programs have operated for decades in multiple Alabama counties under existing juvenile‑court authority and court rules, but Alabama is the only state without a specific statute authorizing CASA and a codified framework.
Maddox described program history, the network’s role in training and supporting volunteer advocates, and the bill’s purpose: to provide consistency, clarity and accountability without limiting juvenile‑court discretion or confidentiality protections. The committee did not take a vote and the sponsor and staff signaled minor technical tweaks would be made before a future hearing.
The chair thanked Maddox for the presentation and members for their input and said the committee would likely revisit the bill next week with amendments.
