04/14/2000 01:30 PM House JUD

HB 409-GRANDPARENTS' RIGHTS REGARDING CINA                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Number 0033                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  KOTT announced  the next  order of  business is  SPONSOR                                                              
SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 409,  "An Act prescribing the rights                                                              
of grandparents related  to hearings on petitions  to adjudicate a                                                              
minor  as  a  child  in  need of  aid  and  to  the  testimony  of                                                              
grandparents at those  hearings; and amending Rules 3,  7, 10, 15,                                                              
17(e), and  19, Alaska Child  in Need  of Aid Rules."  [Before the                                                              
committee is CSSSHB 409(HES).]                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  FRED DYSON,  Alaska State  Legislature, said  that                                                              
last  year  the legislature  passed  a  bill that  allowed  foster                                                              
parents to have  a voice at child-in-need-of-aid  (CINA) hearings,                                                              
treatment plans  and placement for  children.  This bill,  HB 409,                                                              
is very similar  and adds grandparents  to the list of  people who                                                              
should  be  given  the  opportunity  to  be  advised  of  what  is                                                              
happening   and  to   speak  in   court  in   relation  to   their                                                              
grandchildren.     He  clarified  that   HB  409  does   not  make                                                              
grandparents a  party in  a legal sense  rather only that  they be                                                              
informed  and  have a  chance  to  have  a voice  [because]  often                                                              
grandparents  are  the  most  stable influence  in  the  lives  of                                                              
children  in   dysfunctional  homes.     He  mentioned   that  the                                                              
Department of Law raised the point  in the House Health, Education                                                              
&  Social Services  Committee  (HES) that  some  children, due  to                                                              
broken, mixed,  melded and  merged families may  have more  than a                                                              
dozen  folks  claiming  to  be  grandparents.    He  informed  the                                                              
committee   that  the   HES   committee  amendment   made   limits                                                              
grandparents  to those grandparents  that identify themselves  and                                                              
can demonstrate  that they have  a biological relationship  to the                                                              
children.  He urged the committee to move HB 409.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Number 0108                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JAMES  made a motion to move [CSSSHB  409(HES)] out                                                              
of  committee with  individual  recommendations  and the  attached                                                              
fiscal note.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CROFT said he did  not want to object but wanted to                                                              
clarify that  HB 409 says "notice."   He noted that he  heard some                                                              
of the HES hearings  when people discussed how  difficult it might                                                              
be  to  notify  grandparents  and thus  grandparents  are  in  the                                                              
special  category  of  receiving  a  notice  if  they  ask  to  be                                                              
notified.    He  commented  that  asking  to  be  notified  is  an                                                              
imminently practical solution to that problem.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN KOTT noted that the motion  [to move CSSSHB 409(HES) from                                                              
committee]  has  been made.    There  being no  objection,  CSSSHB
(HES) moved from the House Judiciary Standing Committee.