BILL REQ. #:  H-3828.1 

Read first time 01/16/08.   Referred to Committee on Early Learning & Children's Services.

     AN ACT Relating to reinstatement of parental rights hearing procedures; and amending RCW 13.34.215.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 13.34.215 and 2007 c 413 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) A child may petition the juvenile court to reinstate the previously terminated parental rights of his or her parent under the following circumstances:
     (a) The child was previously found to be a dependent child under this chapter;
     (b) The child's parent's rights were terminated in a proceeding under this chapter;
     (c) The child has not achieved his or her permanency plan within three years of a final order of termination, or if the final order was appealed, within three years of exhaustion of any right to appeal the order terminating parental rights; and
     (d) Absent good cause, the child must be at least twelve years old at the time the petition is filed.
     (2) A child seeking to petition under this section shall be provided counsel at no cost to the child.
     (3) The petition must be signed by the child in the absence of a showing of good cause as to why the child could not do so.
     (4) If, after a threshold hearing to consider the parent's apparent fitness and interest in reinstatement of parental rights, ((it appears)) the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the best interests of the child may be served by reinstatement of parental rights, the juvenile court shall order that a hearing on the merits of the petition be held.
     (5) The court shall give prior notice for any proceeding under this section, or cause prior notice to be given, to the department, the child's attorney, and the child. The court shall also order the department to give prior notice of any hearing to the child's former parent whose parental rights are the subject of the petition, any parent whose rights have not been terminated, the child's current foster parent, relative caregiver, guardian or custodian, and the child's tribe, if applicable.
     (6) The juvenile court shall conditionally grant the petition if it finds by clear and convincing evidence that the child has not achieved his or her permanency plan and is not likely to imminently achieve his or her permanency plan and that reinstatement of parental rights is in the child's best interest. In determining whether reinstatement is in the child's best interest the court shall consider, but is not limited to, the following:
     (a) Whether the parent whose rights are to be reinstated is a fit parent and has remedied his or her deficits as provided in the record of the prior termination proceedings and prior termination order;
     (b) The age and maturity of the child, and the ability of the child to express his or her preference;
     (c) Whether the reinstatement of parental rights will present a risk to the child's health, welfare, or safety; and
     (d) Other material changes in circumstances, if any, that may have occurred which warrant the granting of the petition.
     (7) In determining whether the child has or has not achieved his or her permanency plan or whether the child is likely to achieve his or her permanency plan, the department shall provide the court, and the court shall review, information related to any efforts to achieve the permanency plan including efforts to achieve adoption or a permanent guardianship.
     (8)(a) If the court conditionally grants the petition under subsection (6) of this section, the case will be continued for six months. During this period, the child shall be placed in the custody of the parent. The department shall develop a permanency plan for the child reflecting the plan to be reunification and shall provide transition services to the family as appropriate.
     (b) If the child must be removed from the parent due to abuse or neglect allegations prior to the expiration of the conditional six-month period, the court shall dismiss the petition for reinstatement of parental rights if the court finds the allegations have been proven by a preponderance of the evidence.
     (c) If the child has been successfully placed with the parent for six months, the court order reinstating parental rights remains in effect and the court shall dismiss the dependency.
     (9) The granting of the petition under this section does not vacate or otherwise affect the validity of the original termination order.
     (10) Any parent whose rights are reinstated under this section shall not be liable for any child support owed to the department pursuant to RCW 13.34.160 for the time period from the date of termination of parental rights to the date parental rights are reinstated.
     (11) A proceeding to reinstate parental rights is a separate action from the termination of parental rights proceeding and does not vacate the original termination of parental rights. An order granted under this section reinstates the parental rights to the child. This reinstatement is a recognition that the situation of the parent and child have changed since the time of the termination of parental rights and reunification is now appropriate.
     (12) This section is retroactive and applies to any child who is under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court at the time of the hearing regardless of the date parental rights were terminated.