HBA-LCA C.S.S.B. 609 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.S.B. 609
By: Lindsay
Juvenile Justice & Family Issues
4/28/1999
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law requires an attorney ad litem representing a child to conduct
interviews with people having significant knowledge of the child's history
and condition, and with the child if the child is more than four years old.
C.S.S.B. 609 requires that the attorney ad litem also interview a child's
caregivers, such as a foster family or substitute family, as another source
for background on the child. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 107.014(b), Family Code, to require an attorney
ad litem appointed to represent a child to interview individuals with
significant knowledge of the child's history, including the child's foster
parents.  Makes conforming changes.  

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.
                       Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

The substitute modifies the original in SECTION 1 by combining former
Subdivisions (2) and (3) to require an attorney ad litem to interview
certain individuals, including a child's foster parents, rather than
"caregivers," as proposed in the original.  Makes a conforming change.