1774-S.E AMS HSC S2526.1

ESHB 1774  - S COMM AMD
     By Committee on Human Services & Corrections

NOT ADOPTED 04/07/2011

     Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

"Sec. 1   RCW 13.34.130 and 2010 c 288 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     If, after a fact-finding hearing pursuant to RCW 13.34.110, it has been proven by a preponderance of the evidence that the child is dependent within the meaning of RCW 13.34.030 after consideration of the social study prepared pursuant to RCW 13.34.110 and after a disposition hearing has been held pursuant to RCW 13.34.110, the court shall enter an order of disposition pursuant to this section.
     (1) The court shall order one of the following dispositions of the case:
     (a) Order a disposition ((other than removal of the child from)) that maintains the child in his or her home, which shall provide a program designed to alleviate the immediate danger to the child, to mitigate or cure any damage the child has already suffered, and to aid the parents so that the child will not be endangered in the future. In determining the disposition, the court should choose services to assist the parents in maintaining the child in the home, including housing assistance, if appropriate, that least interfere with family autonomy and are adequate to protect the child.
     (b)(i) Order the child to be removed from his or her home and into the custody, control, and care of a relative or other suitable person, the department, or a supervising agency for supervision of the child's placement. The court may not order an Indian child, as defined in 25 U.S.C. Sec. 1903, to be removed from his or her home unless the court finds, by clear and convincing evidence including testimony of qualified expert witnesses, that the continued custody of the child by the parent or Indian custodian is likely to result in serious emotional or physical damage to the child.
     (ii) The department or supervising agency has the authority to place the child, subject to review and approval by the court (A) with a relative as defined in RCW 74.15.020(2)(a), (B) in the home of another suitable person if the child or family has a preexisting relationship with that person, and the person has completed all required criminal history background checks and otherwise appears to the department or supervising agency to be suitable and competent to provide care for the child, or (C) in a foster family home or group care facility licensed pursuant to chapter 74.15 RCW.
     (iii) The department may also consider placing the child, subject to review and approval by the court, with a person with whom the child's sibling or half-sibling is residing or a person who has adopted the sibling or half-sibling of the child being placed as long as the person has completed all required criminal history background checks and otherwise appears to the department or supervising agency to be competent to provide care for the child.
     (2)
Absent good cause, the department or supervising agency shall follow the wishes of the natural parent regarding the placement of the child in accordance with RCW 13.34.260.
     (3) The department or supervising agency may only place a child with a person not related to the child as defined in RCW 74.15.020(2)(a), including a placement provided for in subsection (1)(b)(iii) of this section, when the court finds that such placement is in the best interest of the child. Unless there is reasonable cause to believe that the health, safety, or welfare of the child would be jeopardized or that efforts to reunite the parent and child will be hindered, the child shall be placed with a person who is willing, appropriate, and available to care for the child, and who is: (I) Related to the child as defined in RCW 74.15.020(2)(a) with whom the child has a relationship and is comfortable; or (II) a suitable person as described in ((this)) subsection (1)(b) of this section. The court shall consider the child's existing relationships and attachments when determining placement.
     (((2))) (4) When placing an Indian child in out-of-home care, the department or supervising agency shall follow the placement preference characteristics in RCW 13.34.250 and in 25 U.S.C. Sec. 1915.
     (((3))) (5) Placement of the child with a relative or other suitable person as described in subsection (1)(b) of this section shall be given preference by the court. An order for out-of-home placement may be made only if the court finds that reasonable efforts have been made to prevent or eliminate the need for removal of the child from the child's home and to make it possible for the child to return home, specifying the services, including housing assistance, that have been provided to the child and the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian, and that preventive services have been offered or provided and have failed to prevent the need for out-of-home placement, unless the health, safety, and welfare of the child cannot be protected adequately in the home, and that:
     (a) There is no parent or guardian available to care for such child;
     (b) The parent, guardian, or legal custodian is not willing to take custody of the child; or
     (c) The court finds, by clear, cogent, and convincing evidence, a manifest danger exists that the child will suffer serious abuse or neglect if the child is not removed from the home and an order under RCW 26.44.063 would not protect the child from danger.
     (((4))) (6) If the court has ordered a child removed from his or her home pursuant to subsection (1)(b) of this section, the court shall consider whether it is in a child's best interest to be placed with, have contact with, or have visits with siblings.
     (a) There shall be a presumption that such placement, contact, or visits are in the best interests of the child provided that:
     (i) The court has jurisdiction over all siblings subject to the order of placement, contact, or visitation pursuant to petitions filed under this chapter or the parents of a child for whom there is no jurisdiction are willing to agree; and
     (ii) There is no reasonable cause to believe that the health, safety, or welfare of any child subject to the order of placement, contact, or visitation would be jeopardized or that efforts to reunite the parent and child would be hindered by such placement, contact, or visitation. In no event shall parental visitation time be reduced in order to provide sibling visitation.
     (b) The court may also order placement, contact, or visitation of a child with a step-brother or step-sister provided that in addition to the factors in (a) of this subsection, the child has a relationship and is comfortable with the step-sibling.
     (((5))) (7) If the court has ordered a child removed from his or her home pursuant to subsection (1)(b) of this section and placed into nonparental or nonrelative care, the court shall order a placement that allows the child to remain in the same school he or she attended prior to the initiation of the dependency proceeding when such a placement is practical and in the child's best interest.
     (((6))) (8) If the court has ordered a child removed from his or her home pursuant to subsection (1)(b) of this section, the court may order that a petition seeking termination of the parent and child relationship be filed if the requirements of RCW 13.34.132 are met.
     (((7))) (9) If there is insufficient information at the time of the disposition hearing upon which to base a determination regarding the suitability of a proposed placement with a relative or other suitable person, the child shall remain in foster care and the court shall direct the department or supervising agency to conduct necessary background investigations as provided in chapter 74.15 RCW and report the results of such investigation to the court within thirty days. However, if such relative or other person appears otherwise suitable and competent to provide care and treatment, the criminal history background check need not be completed before placement, but as soon as possible after placement. Any placements with relatives or other suitable persons, pursuant to this section, shall be contingent upon cooperation by the relative or other suitable person with the agency case plan and compliance with court orders related to the care and supervision of the child including, but not limited to, court orders regarding parent-child contacts, sibling contacts, and any other conditions imposed by the court. Noncompliance with the case plan or court order shall be grounds for removal of the child from the relative's or other suitable person's home, subject to review by the court.

Sec. 2   RCW 13.34.215 and 2010 c 180 s 4 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)(i) The child has not achieved his or her permanency plan ((within three years of a final order of termination)); or
     (ii) While the child achieved a permanency plan, it has not since been sustained;
     (d) Three years have passed since the final order of termination was entered;
and
     (((d))) (e) The child must be at least twelve years old at the time the petition is filed. Upon the child's motion for good cause shown, or on its own motion, the court may hear a petition filed by a child younger than twelve years old.
     (2) If the child is eligible to petition the juvenile court under subsection (1) of this section and a parent whose rights have been previously terminated contacts the department or supervising agency or the child's guardian ad litem regarding reinstatement, the department or supervising agency or the guardian ad litem must notify the eligible child about his or her right to petition for reinstatement of parental rights.
     (3) A child seeking to petition under this section shall be provided counsel at no cost to the child.
     (4) 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.
     (5) If, after a threshold hearing to consider the parent's apparent fitness and interest in reinstatement of parental rights, 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.
     (6) The court shall give prior notice for any proceeding under this section, or cause prior notice to be given, to the department or the supervising agency, the child's attorney, and the child. The court shall also order the department or supervising agency 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.
     (7) 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.
     (8) 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 or supervising agency 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.
     (9)(a) If the court conditionally grants the petition under subsection (7) of this section, the case will be continued for six months and a temporary order of reinstatement entered. During this period, the child shall be placed in the custody of the parent. The department or supervising agency 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.
     (10) After the child has been placed with the parent for six months, the court shall hold a hearing. If the placement with the parent has been successful, the court shall enter a final order of reinstatement of parental rights, which shall restore all rights, powers, privileges, immunities, duties, and obligations of the parent as to the child, including those relating to custody, control, and support of the child. The court shall dismiss the dependency and direct the clerk's office to provide a certified copy of the final order of reinstatement of parental rights to the parent at no cost.
     (11) The granting of the petition under this section does not vacate or otherwise affect the validity of the original termination order.
     (12) 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 or Title 26 RCW or costs of other services provided to a child for the time period from the date of termination of parental rights to the date parental rights are reinstated.
     (13) 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.
     (14) 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.
     (15) The state, the department, the supervising agency, and its employees are not liable for civil damages resulting from any act or omission in the provision of services under this section, unless the act or omission constitutes gross negligence. This section does not create any duty and shall not be construed to create a duty where none exists. This section does not create a cause of action against the state, the department, the supervising agency, or its employees concerning the original termination."

ESHB 1774  - S COMM AMD
     By Committee on Human Services & Corrections

NOT ADOPTED 04/07/2011

     On page 1, line 1 of the title, after "Relating to" strike the remainder of the title and insert "dependency matters; and amending RCW 13.34.130 and 13.34.215."

EFFECT:  Provides that the department or supervising agency may consider, with court approval, the placement of a child with a person with whom the child's sibling or half-sibling is placed or with the adoptive parent of the child's sibling or half-sibling as long as the person passes a criminal background check and otherwise appears competent to care for the child.
     Provides that in a reinstatement of parental rights matter, a child may petition for reinstatement if his or her permanency plan has not been achieved or has not been sustained and 3 years have passed since the parental rights were terminated.

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