SB 2384 — Foster Care and Adoption Task Force; create.

Judiciary, Division A COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR SENATE BILL NO.

2384 (As Sent to Governor) AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE MISSISSIPPI TASK FORCE ON FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION;

(d) The Chair of the Senate StudyJudiciary, GroupDivision onA Women,Committee Children and Families or a designee;

(e) The Chair of the House Judiciary A Committee or a designee;

2384 *SS08/R752CS**SS08/R752SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2 23/SS08/R752CS23/SS08/R752SG PAGE 1 (e)(f) ATwo member(2) appointedsitting byChancery theCourt Speakerjudges ofappointed by the HouseChief Justice of Representatives from the Speaker'sMississippi TaskSupreme ForceCourt; on Life or a designee;

(f) Two (2) sitting Chancery Court judges appointed by the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court;

(n) A representative from the Mississippi Association of Child Care Agencies, Inc., to be appointed by the president of the association;

2384 *SS08/R752CS**SS08/R752SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 23/SS08/R752CS23/SS08/R752SG PAGE 2 (n)(o) AThe representativeExecutive fromDirector, theor Mississippihis Associationor ofher Childdesignee Careof Agencies,the Inc.,Joint toLegislative beCommittee appointedon byPerformance theEvaluation presidentand ofExpenditure theReview. association.

(4) The taskChairpersons force must meet within sixty (60) days of the effectiveHouse date of this act upon the call of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and atSenate itsJudiciary firstA meetingCommittees shall electserve any officers from among its membership as itco-chair deems necessary for the efficient discharge of the task force'sforce. duties.

The task force must meet within sixty (60) days of the effective date of this act upon the call of the Chairpersons of the House and Senate Judiciary A Committees, and at its first meeting shall elect any officers from among its membership as it deems necessary for the efficient discharge of the task force's duties.

TenA (10)majority orof morethe members shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of conducting any business of the task force, butand a majority vote of notall lessmembers thanpresent twelveshall (12)be members is required for any recommendations to the Legislature.

Members of the task force other than the legislative members shall receive reimbursement for travel expenses incurred while engaged in official business of the task S.

2384 *SS08/R752CS**SS08/R752SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 23/SS08/R752CS23/SS08/R752SG PAGE 3 the legislative members shall receive reimbursement for travel expenses incurred while engaged in official business of the task force in accordance with Section 25-3-41 and the legislative members of the task force shall receive the expense allowance provided for in Section 5-1-47.

(7) The Mississippi Judicial College willshall staffprovide necessary clerical support for the meetings of the task force and willthe performpreparation of the dutiesreport, whichwith assistance from the taskclerical forceand directs.legal staff of the Mississippi House of Representatives and the Senate.

(c) Draft a definition (or examples through a nonexhaustive list) of what constitutes "compelling and extraordinary reasons why termination of parental rights would not be in the best interests of the child";

2384 *SS08/R752CS**SS08/R752SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 23/SS08/R752CS23/SS08/R752SG PAGE 4 (d)(c) Draft definitionsa ofdefinition neglect(or asexamples "willful"through ora "nonwillful"nonexhaustive withlist) aof proposalwhat forconstitutes different"compelling coursesand extraordinary reasons why termination of actionparental dependingrights onwould not be in the typebest interests of neglect;the child";

(e)(d) ReviewDraft definitions of theneglect Guardianas Ad"willful" Litemor role"nonwillful" inwith thea Fosterproposal Carefor systemdifferent andcourses Termination of Parentalaction Rightsdepending process,on including the propertype responsibility for payment of Guardiansneglect; Ad Litem, how much they should be paid, whether more Guardians Ad Litem are needed, and whether Title IV-E funds can be used for that purpose;

(e) Review of the Guardian Ad Litem role in the foster care system and termination of parental rights process, including the proper responsibility for payment of Guardians Ad Litem, how much they should be paid, whether more Guardians Ad Litem are needed, and whether Title IV-E funds can be used for that purpose;

(g) Review of the timeframes and guidelines followed once a child comes into Child Protection ServicesServices' custody and how to balance the length of these timeframes, the best interests of the child, and the interest of the biological parent(s);

(i) Review of the requirement for a psychological assessment or evaluation for each child coming into custody, whether this is necessary in every case, and, if so, how to address the major shortage of medical providers that will be able to provide the services;

2384 *SS08/R752CS**SS08/R752SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 23/SS08/R752CS23/SS08/R752SG PAGE 5 (j)(i) Review of the diagnosticrequirement andfor evaluationa shelters,psychological whetherassessment theor numberevaluation isfor sufficient,each andchild coming into custody, whether childrenthis areis stayingnecessary in theseevery facilitiescase, tooand, longif beforeso, placement;how to address the major shortage of medical providers that will be able to provide the services;

(j) Review of the diagnostic and evaluation shelters, whether the number is sufficient, and whether children are staying in these facilities too long before placement;

(10) The Tasktask Forceforce may request the assistance of the University of Mississippi School of Law and the Mississippi CollegeS. School of Law, the Mississippi Judicial College, the Mississippi Administrative Office of Courts and the proper section of the Mississippi Bar Association, or any other related organization with expertise in domestic relations.

S.

2384 *SS08/R752CS**SS08/R752SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 23/SS08/R752CS23/SS08/R752SG PAGE 6 (11)College TheSchool taskof forceLaw, shallthe reportMississippi itsJudicial findingsCollege, the Mississippi Administrative Office of Courts and recommendationsthe toproper section of the LegislatureMississippi annuallyBar notAssociation, lateror thanany Decemberother 1strelated eachorganization year.with expertise in domestic relations.

(12)(11) ThisThe sectiontask force shall standreport repealedits onfindings Julyand 1,recommendations 2027.to the Legislature annually not later than December 1 each year.

(12) The task force shall stand dissolved on December 1, 2023.

2384 *SS08/R752CS**SS08/R752SG* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 23/SS08/R752CS23/SS08/R752SG ST: