The House Judiciary Committee heard HB 1605 on juvenile law matters, authored by Rep. McGuire. The law seeks to enhance child safety, ensure timely services, and clarify the roles and rights of involved parties in legal proceedings.
On February 2nd, the committee heard testimony in support of the bill from Champions for Children, Firefly Children & Family Alliance, three attorneys, and four members of the public. One member of the public testified as neutral. The Indiana Public Defender Council, five attorneys, and one member of the public testified against the bill. After considering the extensive testimony, the committee held the bill for amendment.
On February 10th, the Committee heard the bill for amend and vote, amending the bill by consent to provide:
- the bill’s prohibition on waiver of procedural deadlines does not apply to an extension of the deadline for a preliminary hearing to which parties to CHINS proceeding may consent under current law;
- a court may extend the deadline for a fact-finding hearing in a CHINS proceeding or for a hearing regarding a petition to terminate the parent-child relationship if the court finds that extension of the deadline is necessitated by the circumstances of the case or the Indiana Rules of Trial Procedure; and,
- the Department of Child Services is required to provide to the court the results of a pre-reunification criminal history check of a child’s parent, guardian, or custodian.
The amended bill passed 10-2 and was recommitted to Ways & Means.
Upon recommitment, Ways and Means amended the bill to remove the bill’s requirement that the Department of Child Services conduct a criminal history check of a child’s parent, guardian, or custodian before reunifying the child with the parent, guardian, or custodian. The amended bill passed 16-7.
Read the bill at: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2025/bills/house/1605