2001 Legislation
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SENATE BILL NO. 1172 – Coordinated family services

SENATE BILL NO. 1172

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Daily Data Tracking History



S1172................................................by JUDICIARY AND RULES
COORDINATED FAMILY SERVICES - Adds to existing law to provide for the
implementation of a coordinated family services plan; to provide for
evaluation of the family court services plan; and to provide for
administration of funding.
                                                                        
02/20    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/21    Rpt prt - to Jud
02/26    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
02/27    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/06    3rd rdg as amen - PASSED - 35-0-0
      AYES -- Andreason, Boatright, Branch(Bartlett), Brandt, Bunderson,
      Burtenshaw, Cameron, Danielson, Darrington, Davis, Deide, Dunklin,
      Frasure, Geddes, Goedde, Hawkins, Ingram, Ipsen, Keough,
      King-Barrutia, Lee, Lodge, Noh, Richardson, Risch, Sandy, Schroeder,
      Sims, Sorensen, Stegner, Stennett, Thorne, Wheeler, Whitworth,
      Williams,
      NAYS -- None
      Absent and excused -- None
    Floor Sponsors -- King-Barrutia & Lodge
    Title apvd - to House
03/07    House intro - 1st rdg - to Jud
03/16    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
03/19    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/23    3rd rdg - PASSED - 56-5-8(1 vacant)
      AYES -- Barraclough, Bedke, Bell, Bieter, Black, Boe, Bolz, Bruneel,
      Callister, Campbell, Chase, Collins, Crow, Cuddy, Deal, Denney,
      Ellsworth, Eskridge, Field(20), Gagner, Gould, Hadley, Hammond,
      Higgins, Hornbeck, Jaquet, Kellogg, Lake, Langford, Loertscher,
      Mader, Marley, Meyer, Montgomery, Mortensen, Moss, Pearce, Pomeroy,
      Raybould, Ridinger, Roberts, Robison, Sali, Schaefer, Sellman,
      Shepherd, Smith, Smylie, Stevenson, Stone, Tilman, Trail, Wheeler,
      Wood, Young, Mr. Speaker
      NAYS -- Barrett, Clark, Ellis, Harwood, McKague
      Absent and excused -- Bradford, Field(13), Henbest, Jones, Kendell,
      Kunz, Moyle, Pischner
      Vacant -- Dist. #23
    Floor Sponsors -- Field & Moss
    Title apvd - to Senate
03/26    To enrol - rpt enrol - pres signed
03/28    Sp signed - to Governor
04/04    Governor signed
         Session Law Chapter 338
         Effective: 07/01/01

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
 Fifty-sixth Legislature                  First Regular Session - 2001
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                       IN THE SENATE
                                                                        
                                    SENATE BILL NO. 1172
                                                                        
                              BY JUDICIARY AND RULES COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES; AMENDING TITLE 32, IDAHO CODE, BY THE
  3        ADDITION OF A NEW CHAPTER 14, TITLE 32, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE LEGISLATIVE
  4        FINDINGS, TO PROVIDE A DECLARATION OF PURPOSE, TO PROVIDE FOR  IMPLEMENTA-
  5        TION  OF  A COORDINATED FAMILY SERVICES PLAN, TO PROVIDE FOR EVALUATION OF
  6        THE FAMILY COURT SERVICES PLAN AND TO PROVIDE FOR ADMINISTRATION OF  FUND-
  7        ING.
                                                                        
  8    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
  9        SECTION  1.  That Title 32, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby amended
 10    by the addition thereto of a NEW CHAPTER, to be known and designated as  Chap-
 11    ter 14, Title 32, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:
                                                                        
 12                                      CHAPTER 14
 13                             COORDINATED FAMILY SERVICES
                                                                        
 14        32-1401.  LEGISLATIVE  FINDINGS.  The  legislature  finds that there is an
 15    increasing incidence of children and family members in more than one (1) court
 16    proceeding, including juvenile corrections, domestic violence, domestic  rela-
 17    tions, adoptions, and child protection actions, and there is a need to coordi-
 18    nate  these  diverse cases and related family services to provide an effective
 19    response to the needs of these children and families.
                                                                        
 20        32-1402.  DECLARATION OF PURPOSE. The legislature declares that an  effec-
 21    tive response to address the needs of families and children in resolving these
 22    disputes would include the following:
 23        (1)  Case  management  practices  that  provide a flexible response to the
 24    diverse court-related needs of families involved in multiple court cases which
 25    will promote the efficient use of time and resources of the  parties  and  the
 26    court, and avoid conflicting court orders;
 27        (2)  The  expansion of available nonadversarial methods of dispute resolu-
 28    tion, including mediation of child custody and visitation disputes and  alter-
 29    native dispute resolution assessments;
 30        (3)  Coordination of family dispute issues with related litigation involv-
 31    ing the juvenile correction laws and criminal laws;
 32        (4)  A  family  court  services  coordinator to assist families in need to
 33    connect with appropriate resources  for  the  family,  to  provide  assessment
 34    information  to  the  court to assist in early case resolution, and to conduct
 35    workshops which will educate the parties on the adverse impact  of  high  con-
 36    flict family disputes upon children, identify the developmental needs of chil-
 37    dren, and emphasize the importance of parenting plans and mediation techniques
 38    which peacefully resolve child custody and visitation issues;
 39        (5)  A  court  assistance officer to provide assistance to parties without
 40    legal representation to help them understand the  legal  requirements  of  the
 41    court system, including educational materials, court forms, assistance in com-
                                                                        
                                           2
                                                                        
  1    pleting court forms, information about court procedures, and referrals to pub-
  2    lic and community agencies and resources that provide legal and other services
  3    to parents and children;
  4        (6)  Supervised  visitation  by trained providers to assure the safety and
  5    welfare of children in cases where certain risk factors are identified; and
  6        (7)  The adoption of other methods and procedures  which  will  promote  a
  7    timely  and  effective resolution of related disputes in court cases involving
  8    children and families.
                                                                        
  9        32-1403.  IMPLEMENTATION  OF  A  COORDINATED  FAMILY  SERVICES  PLAN.  The
 10    supreme court may establish a committee consisting of representatives  of  the
 11    judicial, executive and legislative branches to implement a coordinated family
 12    court  services  plan for a comprehensive response to children and families in
 13    the courts. The committee shall recommend, for adoption by the supreme  court,
 14    policies and procedures that will carry out the purposes of this chapter.
                                                                        
 15        32-1404.  EVALUATION  OF  FAMILY  COURT  SERVICES  PLAN. The supreme court
 16    shall conduct a study measuring the effectiveness of an appropriation for fam-
 17    ily court services and report the results of its study to the governor and  to
 18    the legislature by the first day of the legislative session.
                                                                        
 19        32-1405.  ADMINISTRATION OF FUNDING. Subject to the appropriation power of
 20    the  legislature,  the  supreme  court shall be responsible for administering,
 21    allocating and apportioning all funding  resources  for  children  and  family
 22    court  services,  including grants, contributions, and appropriations from the
 23    legislature, to each judicial district upon their submission of an appropriate
 24    plan for family court services.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact



                      STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
                                
                            RS 11162

     This bill sets legislative policy for the implementation of a
coordinated family services plan by the courts to address the needs
of children and family members who are faced with one or more court
actions involving family issues such as divorce, child support,
child custody and visitation disputes, domestic violence, child
protection, and juvenile correction proceedings.  The coordinated
family services plan involves innovative case management practices
which are designed to promote an efficient use of family and court
resources, an expansion of non-adversarial alternative dispute
procedures that assist in resolving high conflict family issues
that are damaging to children, and supervised child visitation when
certain risk factors are present.  The plan also includes family
court coordinators and court assistance officers who assist family
members who are not represented to understand court procedures, and
to connect them with essential family services, resulting in
earlier case resolution.
                         FISCAL NOTE
     A request for a general fund appropriation of $856,000 for
fiscal year 2002 has been made to the Joint Finance and
Appropriations Committee to establish the coordinated children and
family services response contemplated by this legislation.


Contact:
Senator Robbi King-Barrutia
(208) 332-1347
Senator Patti Anne Lodge
(208) 332-1335 



STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE        S 117