HB 1105 Summary

• Establishes a 1-year maximum timeframe for parents to achieve reunification with children in the dependency system, beginning after removal or adjudication, with parents required to notify parties and courts of barriers to case plan compliance.

• Requires guardian ad litem or attorney ad litem names to be entered on all court orders, limits continuances to 60 days within any 12-month period (with exceptions only for extraordinary circumstances), and mandates courts hold permanency status hearings every 60 days when children remain in out-of-home care beyond 12 months.

• Requires the department to make service referrals within 7 days of identifying needs, provide families functioning assessments to guardian ad litem representatives, and file status reports on parental progress toward case plan objectives within 45 days of case plan acceptance.

• Permits courts to reject evidence of department failures to monitor case plan completion if parents failed to notify parties and courts of barriers within a reasonable time after discovery.

• Takes effect July 1, 2018.