Committee rejects amendment; Senate Bill 515 advances with carve-out through 08/01/2027

The Children and Family Law Committee debated an amendment to Senate Bill 515 that members said would undercut a child's statutory right to counsel, then rejected the amendment and approved the bill after discussion and an explanation of an implementation carve-out.

Representative Rice moved Amendment 1257(h) to return the bill to an earlier version. Representative Grama strongly opposed the amendment, arguing that removing Section 4 (the repeal/expiration) and leaving an exception in place would "codify the exception" and risk depriving children of a legal right to counsel. Grama cited research and outcomes from other states linking early appointment of counsel to improved permanency and case planning, and said the change would risk expedient outcomes that do not reflect a child's legal rights or long-term best interests.

Representative Pearson warned that language asking staff to "do your best" when counsel is unavailable would weaken protections in practice. Representative Scheer and Representative Love also emphasized that permanency orders entered without counsel can undermine trust and may be harmful. Representative Greg answered procedural questions, saying the bill includes a temporary carve-out that expires on 08/01/2027 to allow time to build attorney capacity and to align with federal regulations.

The clerk called the roll on Amendment 1257(h); the amendment failed in committee (recorded tallies reported in the transcript with counts announced as 6-9 and then variously as 7-9; the chair announced the amendment failed). After the failed amendment, the committee took a final roll call on Senate Bill 515 and recorded a vote of 15-1 in favor of advancing the bill.

Next step: SB 515 will move forward after committee action; the transcript records that the carve-out is intended to expire on 08/01/2027, at which point counsel requirements would become mandatory if capacity is in place.