The Senate Family and Children Services Committee heard SB 171 on reunification plan for a child in need of services authored by Sen. Greg Walker. The bill amends the circumstances under which reasonable efforts to reunify a child with the child’s parent, guardian, or custodian or preserve a child’s family are not required. If passed as written, DCS will no longer be required to try to reunify a child with the child’s parent, guardian, or custodian if the parent, guardian, or custodian:
- is required to register as a sex offender under federal law or a sex or violent offender pursuant to Indiana law,
- has been convicted of an offense described in Ind. Code § 31-34-1-3 or Ind. Code § 31-34-1-3.5 against a child or
- if the child has been adjudicated a CHINS on two or more separate occasions and was removed from the home of the parent, guardian, or custodian in these CHINS proceedings and the courts found the conditions that led to each removal were the result of conditions caused by the parent, guardian, or custodian.
DCS testified in support of the bill. The Indiana Public Defender Council testified against one part of the bill. IPDC would like to see language added that requires the court to look at the crime that requires the parent, guardian, or custodian to register as a sex offender to determine whether this crime affects the ability to be a good parent-figure. Sen. Walker pointed out the court has this discretion even if the bill is passed. The bill passed 6-0.
Read the bill at https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2024/bills/senate/171