HB 1307 Summary

• Requires the department of child services to file a petition for termination of parental rights when a parent accumulates three instances of specified acts or omissions including convictions, missed hearings, missed service appointments, missed visits, missed or positive drug tests, or two arrests.

• Adds four new grounds for termination petitions: parent accumulating three instances of qualifying acts/omissions; failure to maintain consistent and meaningful contact with the child over the past 12 months; failure to provide care and support for the child over the past 12 months; or inability to adequately provide care due to incompetence with unlikely future improvement.

• Allows courts to find that reasonable efforts to reunify a child with parent, guardian, or custodian are not required if any of the four new grounds above are met.

• Creates new statute IC 31-34-23-5 requiring the department's attorney to file a motion to suspend visitation when a parent accumulates three instances of qualifying acts or omissions, with the court to hold a hearing on the motion.

• Effective July 1, 2018.